SUBMITTED BY ANN HANDELS.
OPINION

Central Virgil has become the place where architecture goes to die, all creativity crushed beneath the weight of proliferating uniform square boxes. Irritated defenders of this “progressive” building often remark “We cannot afford to build pretty villages any more.” So I would like to point out that millions of people travel millions of miles to enjoy the beauty and human comfort of European towns and villages which are not only beautiful but still have shops within walking distance of their individual homes. Visitors spend millions of dollars to soak up the atmosphere of such charming places. These towns manage to perpetuate their attractive atmosphere by maintaining the old facades and rebuilding the interiors or just building with imagination.

I think this is proof positive that we do not have to allow the forces of greed to convince us to live in the mass produced plain and cheap so that they can live in the grand and glorious.

Planning by some people who actually care about architecture and the overall landscape of an area could create something of which the inhabitants would be proud.

I don’t believe anyone wants to live in a suburban sprawl where each inhabitant needs a car to reach absolutely anything. Human beings want communities with soul. Niagara-on-the-Lake is fighting to keep this. Virgil should be fighting to achieve it.