The province believes natural erosion is to blame after the historic field wall in the former Ontario Reformatory was found dismantled last week.
A four-metre long section of the field wall on the York Road property appeared to have been dismantled sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, with large rocks strewn about the area.
While locals believe the cause to be deliberate vandalism, communications advisor for Infrastructure Ontario Catherine Tardik said their initial inspection suggests natural erosion is behind it.
Tardik said they are continuing to inspect and assess the condition of the stone wall, and that there is no further information they can share at this time.
The wall was constructed by reformatory inmates in the 1920s, and is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act. It’s considered an important historical feature of the York Road property, as well as a tourist attraction.
Given its significance, local heritage advocates called on the province to restore the damaged wall, calling it a “tragic loss to a major component of the reformatory grounds.”
“I really think it's incumbent on the province, as owners and stewards of this property, to repair and restore this heritage feature,” said Brian Skerrett, local heritage advocate and former chair of Heritage Guelph.
However, Tardik did not respond to whether they would be restoring the wall, which was constructed by reformatory inmates in the 1920s, and is protected under the Ontario Heritage Act.
