RC Harris water treatment plant

[sabotabby]

"– Your goddamn herringbone tiles in the toilets cost more than half our salaries put together.
— Yes, that's true.
— Aren't you ashamed of that?
— You watch, in fifty years they're going to come here and gape at the herringbone and the copper roofs. We need excess, something to live up to. I fought tooth and nail for that herringbone.
— You fought. You fought. Think about those who built the intake tunnels. Do you know how many of us died in there?
— There was no record kept." — Michael Ondaatje, In the Skin Of a Lion

This one's been on the bucket list since Grade 11 English. It opens to the public once a year, for doors open, and I finally got to see it.

Comments

[armiphlage]

I showed a photo of the brass and stained-glass monitoring column to my boss the other day, to contrast with the rather childish scribbles we have for our status board.

[greylock]

I had no idea what do expect, but my expectations were far too low.
My commiserations to whomever has to clean it.

And it's still functional? And processes one-third of your water?
And it was in both In the Mouth of Madness and The Expanse?

It is a stunning building!

[selki]

Wow, I didn't know about this when I lived in Rochester, or I might have tried to visit when I went to Toronto a few times (for the Toronto International Film Festival).

[vass]

GOSH.

[blogcutter]

What a fascinating piece of architecture and Toronto history! I hope I have occasion to see it someday. From the small amount I've read of R.C. Harris, I'm thinking his legacy could best be described as mixed. He evidently came from humble roots and was, like all of us, a product of his time. Ondaatje judges him harshly and not without some justification but on balance, I think I would have preferred him to a later Harris, the one who made Linwood Barclay eat his dog:

https://booksreadingorder.com/mike-harris-made-eat-dog/

I presume the two Harrises are not related?

[dissectionist]

Oh dang, how did I not know about this place? Art Deco is my favorite architectural style!

[snickfic]

I clicked for the herringbone, of course, but didn't expect to recognize the building! I watched In the Mouth of Madness last year, and man I guess the architecture made an impression, because I recognized it instantly. Absolutely gorgeous. I'm jealous!!

[lokifan]

Gorgeous!