Thank you to the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario, and to Paul Oberman of Woodcliffe Landmark Properties, who worked tirelessly to save the Hangars, for this update:

"I regret to advise that in spite of all of our efforts, the Department of National Defence (DND) and Parc Downsview Park (PDP) have been unable to reach a satisfactory arrangement that will permit the hangars to be saved. The DND will be proceeding with the demolition tomorrow on an expedited basis.

I believed that we had structured a land exchange that was both operationally feasible and economically viable for DND and PDP. In fact, I believe that the proposed transaction provided significant benefits for both parties. However, in the end they were unable to reach agreement between themselves on some of the details.

It is a travesty that these buildings are being lost due to administrative ambivalence. I don't know what else we could have done given the time constraints and resources at our disposal. We have learned a great deal from this experience and I hope we can work together to create efficient systems and processes to minimize losses of this nature in the future."

Paul Oberman

Constructed in 1943 and located in Downsview Park, these structures were designated as heritage buildings by the federal government in 1992 for the role they played in Canadian aircraft production during the Second World War. The hangars are owned by the DND.