Laskay Hall gets a new lease on life in King City

Yorkregion.com
September 19, 2018
Kim Zarzour

A burst of giggles filled Laskay Hall when King Township councillor David Boyd said “if only these walls could only talk!”

Was it the first kiss, the awkward dance, the romance that took flight?

The old-timers may never say --but they were eager to help celebrate, on the hot afternoon of Sept. 15, the reopening of their beloved community hall crammed with shared memories.

After more than 158 years spent nestled in the trees on Weston road, the historic building was moved to King City last August, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with other century buildings including a chapel, schoolhouse and Canada’s oldest train station at the King Cultural and Heritage Centre.

Laskay Hall gets moved to new location in King
For 95-year-old Doris Willoughby, it was a moment to remember --the many community plays she performed there, the dances and baby showers.

“Right there is where the wood-stove was, in the corner,” she recalled. “And those hooks on the walls are where we would hang the chairs to get them out of the way. It all looks the same. The only difference is the nasty musty smell. That’s gone!”

The decision to move Laskay Hall was a difficult one, Mayor Steve Pellegrini said.

It was an emotional decision for many in the community worried that moving the building would tear apart the hamlet of Laskay, but others were pleased to know they would no longer have to cross busy Weston Road. The new location offers better parking along with air conditioning, wheelchair accessibility and permeable paving in keeping with King’s focus on the environment.

 “It was sometimes not a popular decision, but it was the right one to ensure this facility lives on for another 158 years,” Pellegrini said.

“People met their wives and husbands and they learned how to dance and now we can do that again for the next generation.”

The hall was underused at its old location and closed for six months a year because it was too expensive to heat.

There were structural issues when they picked the building up, he said. Beams were rotten and wood chewed by carpenter ants.

Now the building rests on steel beams and a new foundation, part of an innovative solution that Pellegrini said did not cost taxpayers.

The municipality sold the 50-foot lot on Weston Road for $500,000, which is what the building’s move and renovation cost, he said.

“Many communities just don’t take the time or they just let it go and it falls apart,” said MP Deb Schulte. “I’m really proud of King and the fact that you wanted to work together to preserve your heritage.”

“If these walls could talk they’d tell the story of first dances, first kisses, new-found love, weddings, community gatherings and celebration, Laskay Christmas and raspberry pie,” Boyd said. “If these walls could talk, I believe they would say ‘thank you.’”