The Lesson of the Crystal Palace

Perth, Ontario (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perth,_Ontario) is a lovely little town, if I must say so myself.

Settled by veterans of the War of 1812, streets lined by classic limestone buildings, cafes, restaurants, and touristy places, Perth is in many ways a living museum of its colonial and largely Scottish heritage. (You should come out for the Kilt Run (https://www.perthkiltrun.ca/) — seriously!)

In one of the many parks nestled along the Tay is a sparkling, spectacular glass and steel structure, the Crystal Palace, a site for expositions, receptions, and just general enjoyment.

Under most circumstances, the Palace should have cost Perth a pretty penny. But to the delight of it’s Scottish founders looking down from Presbyterian Heaven, Perth acquired the structure for free.

Here’s the story: back in the 1980s, nearby Ottawa concocted the idea to reduce a section of Rideau Street (a busy shopping area) from four open lanes to a two lane bus-only canyon, with a steel and glass covered pedestrian mall on either side.

The Rideau Street Bus Mall didn’t take into account Ottawa’s long grey winters, salt spray, slush, and diesel fumes, nor the fact that after hours the empty malls would become shelters for vagrants, hookers, drug-dealers, and others with whom you wouldn’t want your kids to associate.

Before long the cold urban dream was littered with cigarette butts and other detritus of nights of squalid commerce, and reeked of urine and diesel. Local merchants stood shoulder to shoulder to have the blight removed from their storefronts.

Ultimately, City Council caved, the only question being, “How do we get rid of this thing?”

I’m sure you can now connect the dots. Two pedestrian malls trucked down the road and rearranged face to face in a sunlit park became the Crystal Palace. “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

I could begin to set out the lessons in point form, but the list would go on for pages, and besides, your list would be better than mine.

If you’re an Ottawa taxpayer, you really must come visit and see what your tax dollars can do. And they say that if you listen very carefully, you can still hear Angus and Hamish chuckling to one another.