14-2-17

It's an endangered species, the local garage. I don't know if it's because cars are getting more and more specialized or when a plot of land with a decrepit old shack of a house on it is worth nearly a million dollars, a commercial lot as big as this one, a lot that could hold the better part of 20 condos, I mean "homes", this lot isn't financially viable as an independent enterprise. You try by selling the space on the sign to manufacturers but the advertising revnue is minimal and market forces develop stronger alliances to Mr.Lube because of the glossy advertising on national television and the type of people who live in half million dollar studio condominiums don't like taking their precious automobiles to dirty shops. (I've got a secret to tell you, cars are dirty)

I took my car into Bert's Automotive for a syncromesh for second gear and a clutch. It's a dirty shop and buried on a part of Kingsway that isn't particularly hip. I hope that saves Burt's from renoviction for a few more years to come. The place above, Tireland, is on Main Street and that yellow sign on the side of it is the death certificate. "Here there will be condos." And if history proves a reliable predictor, there will be a Chain Coffee Shop™ and an Authentic Tacos Made By White People lunch counter on the ground floor. And a cell phone service retailer, maybe a discount one, maybe even one of the big three.

The Tireland building isn't particularly beautiful. But this city doesn't really need more condos, what it needs is for some of the estimated 20% vacant condos purchased as investments to be rented out. With that kind of influx of housing all rents in this city would likely go down.

Tireland won't specifically be missed, but what it represents will be, at least by me even if I'm in the minority.