The Normal School

Location:

165 Elmwood Street, London, ON

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The school was “built in 1889 by architect Francis Heakes,” and was one of the original training facilities in Ontario for teachers (Eqbal, 2021). The school still occupies an entire block with the remaining area of land used as a public park. Although I have walked by the school many times, I didn’t take notice until the addition of the YMCA glass addition (Figure 3). The juxtaposition of the YMCA logo and the aged brick emphasize the old and new vying for space. The photograph I took displays the urbanization (urban sprawl) of the school, especially in comparison to the historical picture of the school (Figure 4). The glass addition now looks like a parasite on the historical site. The reflection of the tree looming over adds to the haunting feeling of the photograph- as if nature is reminding us that it is always waiting to claim back its domain.