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Kilns Building

Page history last edited by Mireille 11 years, 11 months ago

 

The Kiln Buildings

 


 

 

About the Kiln Buildings

  • This building was the last building to be built on this site in 1957
  • the most dramatic space is the 4,700-square-metre building that houses three long tunnel kilns and six single-track drying tunnels where bricks were once produced.     Source: Conversion of Square metres to Square Feet - Answer: 4700. m² = 50590.378 ft² OR 50,590 ft² 
  • It features art installations and a rock climbing tower and ropes course administered by Outward Bound Canada. 
  • It can be rented out for a variety of events and functions.  An example:  On Saturday, September 10, 2011 the Kiln building was transformed for a wedding reception by wedding event plan Laurie Goldhar     

 

The Roof 

  • roof of the shed between Kilns & Welcome Centre was removed to let air and light in
  • This also facilitates the plantings in the greenway (water management)

  • the rest of the roof had to be replaced because it was badly deteriorated and was full of asbestos

   

The Kilns

  • The railway-tunnel kilns, produced by G. W. Booth, were among the first installed in Ontario.
  • The building contained three tunnel kilns that were fired by natural gas, with fuel oil as a backup
  • green and yellow fuel lines --- yellow - gas || green - coal 
  • Bricks were moved around on small railway tracks that you can still see in the floors 
  • One of the names mentioned on one of the Kilns is 'Harrop' the name of the British manufacturer 

 

Three Types of Kilns

  • Historically, the Tunnel Kiln and Dryer Building reflected the ongoing brick making processes that were introduced in the 1890s and continued for almost a century in different locations on-site.

 

  • Three Drying Kilns

    • took 12+ hours to pre-heat and pre-dry bricks so the moisture wouldn't cause them to explode on they went into the firing kilns

 

  • Two Tunnel Kilns

    • originally the tunnel kilns were 376 feet long but were required to have a section removed pursuant to fire regulations
    • tempurature up to 1,000C (1,832 F) 

 

  • One Kiln for Customized Bricks 

 

 

Brick Making

 

 

 

Working Conditions

  • Hot, dirty & hazardous ------ Michael Santomieri (age 73 as of 2010/08):
  • Shards of glaze often chipped  -  Carmine Melino (age 62 as of 2010/08):
  • witnessed a 60-year-old man almost bleed to death while cleaning the wire-cutting machine

 

Art

 

Resources

  1. Toronto Don Valley Brickworks (Invisible Threads)
    Photographs of the Kiln Building

 

 

 

References

  • Notes from Bev A (Evergreen's Volunteer Tour Guide and Welcome Desk Host) December 2012

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