Whitby Free Pree, Wednesday, JuIy 27,1994, Page 9 Y F-REE fPRESS usM STONEMASONRY:, By John Dujay Stonemasonry. The traditional craft ef shaping stene te build homes, churches, casties. It is a skill that hasn't changed niuch in thousands of years, but it is a skill that is urgentiy needed in Canada. According te, Bobby Watt, course coordinator for Durham College's stonemasonry course, "Suddenly, we find we don't have any skilled masons' in the country. We've probably got 150 -- that's it. 'We need tbousands." As a result, tbe college bas instituted a stonomasonry course te fil the vast need. "At the moment, we are the only facility in North America that teaches traditional and heritage stoemasen craft," says Watt. Speaking at the Champlain Avenue campus in Whitby, inside the 2,500- square, foot workshop, Watt holds up a handful of papors. 'We've got well over 100 applications for -the first 20 spots for this fail's course." The course teaches traditional niasonry techniques like stonecutting and carving, as well as restoring old buildings made of stone. Watt explains the reason for the great need. Between 1850 and .1875, there were many governmont buildings erected. They are now reacbing what ho caîls the "criticai age. "They're becering se, old, that unless we stop the deterioration, they're going te, fall down. We want te maintain that beauty because Wes part of our heritage," ho says. Therefore, expertly trained masons are required te restore loveiy old buildings across the country. BOBBY WA1T of Whitby co-ordinates a stonemasonry course at Durham College. He Iearned the craft by apprenticing on a ninth century castie in his native Scotiand.O bJonDayWhtyFePrs New taiing inold skill1 In the past, hoe says, '"We've always imported our masons from Europe. We've noever trained our OMM.et Economics alse enters the equatien. "If you take (eld buildings) dewn and rebuild new glass and concrete structures, it's going te costs three tumes the anieunt of money it weuld cost te fix tbem up." Watt is originaliy from Scotland where ho learned bis craft the traditional way-. by apprenticing on a ninth century castie. In 1975, ho emigrated te Canada 'where lho continued working as a mason. Wn1987, ho started bis own business. It was here where ho noticed the scarcity of qualified masons. After some research, ho approached Durham Coliege in the fall of 1993. To bis surprise, funding was granted and the first batch of students arrived in January of tbis year. For Watt, education is a field hoe thougbt lho would nover enter. Se far, hoe says, "I love teacbing," with a bemused grin. "Sometimes I feel Im a conduit for 6,000 years ofilearning." Although ho teaches fuil-timo and works occasionally as a consultant mason, it is net the only thing hoe does. Watt bas just released a folk album cailed 'C'est Watt.! It is available at Discs and Date on Dundas Street East. "We hope itfs going te do reaily Weil," hoe says, belying an eternal optimism. The iast album seld 5,000 copies and ho hopes te double the. sales for this record. These are heady figures for an independent folk music release. How does hoe get the tume te, compose? I don't sit down to write music. I canet do that." "If a song's coming te me, it hits nme right straight botWeen the eyes. Then it just flows out within five or 10 minutes. Watt does niat know when the muse wiil hit until juet before it apns"I would get lost in tugt cutting stone and euddeniy have a song strike me. I stop for 10 minutes and write it ail down." In the past, he has written songs on ail manner of things such as scraps of paper, the backs of menus or cernent hags. Watt aise tours te support bis work. 'Tve done every folk music club from Victoria te, Halifax." A partial list of the larger veniues includes the Winnipeg festival, and CNE stadiumn in front of approximately 25,000- people. He bas aise played Roy Thomison Hall and Massey Hall. 've get an Air Canada Elite card with 35,000 miles last year in the aiv-," he says, aleng with 300,900 kilometres on bis station wagon. Watt is a busy guy. For now, he is concentrating on preparxng for the new semester, which starts Oct. 3 (athough bis album release party will ho at Harhourfront Oct. 2). He sees hiniseif as semeone who wants te help preservè bis adeped country's heritage by training personts te restore their buildings. But sadly, ho says, 'We're a lot of years tee late for a lot of the buildings. 'Tou see some of the government buildings in beautiful limestone or sandstone and they've got horrendous brick additions on themn that just look horrible, really ugly.", Town orders garbage removed romprpert By Mike Kowalski Owners of an abandoned Whitby industrial site have been ordered te dcean up their gar. hage.strown property. B ut contaminated soui ying honeath the debris at the former smelting plant yard on Warren Road will still stay put for the tinie being. A notice of violation of Whitby's property standards hylaw was dlelivered last week te aIl parties with a legal interest in 110-114 Warren Rd. Site owners Jack and Leonard Lambersky of Markham and mortgagee, the Royal Bank of Canada, were among those receiving copies of the document. They were inforrned that un- lese the property is -brought into compliance with the bylaw, charges will ho laid by the Teown. A meeting between Town staff and the owners will be held Aug. 22 se that a time frame for compliance with the municipa- lity's request can ho drawn Up. But if an agreement cannot ho reached, a formaI dlean-up order wili ho issued, Town clerk Don McKay told The Free Pross. Hewever, the Town's action is limited at this point, McKay stressed. "We have ne jurisdiction over the contaminated soul, we've only asked for compliance witb the garbage,» lho sad. Largely inactive sinco the f»irst of several fires bit the aluminum smelting plant more than 20 years ago, the site has become a virtual dumping ground in recent years. Old tires, scrap metal, con- crete, propane tanks and other assorted debris lie scattered about the proprty located on the north side of Warren, a dead-end street running east off Hopkins Street, south of the Canadian SR PAGE 10 Acodnortable retirement .siliorlutck?0 Come in for a com. plimentaly review and léani four ÙPS for m"g your own, better luck in the futum., Financial Serving Whitby and Oshawa Since 1986 ccmcep-t DEREK DUTKA Group 579-7777 Fin an a a! Con cep tCorporaii cc ýs a licen sec, ý,lutjal tund de aly PC G Sec uriý es Corpor ab on is a licensed Sec,; r;ý es daAr