Niagara Falls, Then and Now: more changes

below: Oct.23, 2009, looking at a bungalow which was at the south-west corner of Lundy's Lane and Kalar Rd. Many trees which had been cut down on this property are seen in huge pile at the left distance

above: same view, bungalow under demolition, Nov.4, 2009
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below: Oct.23, 2009 - looking at the bungalow from the north-west; the strip mall on the south-east corner of Lundy's La. and Kalar Rd. is seen at the far left.

above: same view Nov.4, 2009, as the old house was being torn down.

See video at bottom of this post.

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below: an Oct.6, 2009 view of the Bampfield House (built by James Bampfield in 1872) now operating as the Blythewood Manor bed and breakfast, on Zimmerman Ave. Blue paint covered the brick exterior walls.

above: seen Oct.8, 2009 - house is repainted in a grey primer

above: Oct.14, 2009 - a new faux-brick paint job was meticulously applied onto the entire facade.

above: by Dec, 2009, this gothic Victorian's trim was painted in a complementary burgundy tone.
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below: looking at the north-west corner of Morrison St. and Buckley Ave. There was a coffee shop on the corner, about maybe 5-6 years ago, which I had been to often; it was just across the street from the library parking lot; for a while it was a Thai restaurant, but for the last several years the place was closed. Below it is seen being demolished on Nov.23, 2009. A sink salvaged from the restaurant sits on the front lawn.

above: same view, Nov.24, 2009 - the coffee shop on the corner, and the house it was attached to, have both been demolished. The same brick house is seen in both above shots at the far left.

above: this is how the former coffee shop on the north-west corner of Morrison St. and Buckley Ave. looked on a snowy Feb.3, 2009.

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below: a view of the site, looking west along Morrison St., on Nov.23, 2009, during demolition. Buckley Ave. is in the foreground.

above: same view, Nov.24, 2009, after the two structures were demolished.

above: looking at the house and the coffee shop as they were on Feb.3, 2009.
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below: closer view during demolition, Oct.24, 2009

above: same view after demolition, Nov.25, 2009

above: a closer view of the coffee shop and sign, as they were earlier, on Feb.3, 2009. The same sign post is seen in the above three photos.

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below: Sept.30, 2009 - this building, on the north-west corner of Victoria Ave. and Willmot St., had been a shoe outlet, prior to that, it was a Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce branch. Prior to it housing the CIBC, this building was home to the "Canadian Bank of Commerce" (the words were carved into the front and side upper stone walls along the front and side). In 1961 the Bank of Commerce (established in Toronto in 1867) merged with the Imperial Bank of Canada (established in Toronto in 1875) to create the CIBC. The Imperial Bank itself had a Niagara lineage: soon after opening its own doors on Mar.16, 1875, the Imperial Bank quickly expanded by buying out the three-branch Niagara District Bank, which had been established in 1853 in St.Catharines.

above: Nov.24, 2009, an accounting firm has moved in. Note the words "Canadian Bank of Commerce" carved into the stone at the top front and side of the building.

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below: looking at the south side of Ferry St., between Stanley Ave. and Fallsview Blvd., at the Capri Restaurant, a Niagara Falls institution for years, as it was in June of 2009. It had a grand neon sign - the letters 'Capri' are seen in red neon, with the crests around them outlined in white neon, while 'restaurant' is in green neon.

above: seen at the end of Nov.2009. About mid-November 2009, the Capri Restaurant had closed, its seats and white linen covered tables gone, the Living Room Lounge signs taken off, and those great Capri neon sign letters removed.

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below: video by R.Bobak of bungalow being demolished at the SW corner of Lundy's Lane and Kalar Rd. on Nov.4, 2009. {this would later become the Freshco supermarket site}