So I've lived near this place for my whole freakin' life. In its heyday, it was this omninous curiosity, set quite far back off the road. I remember, as a kid, I'd always look at it when we drove by; I guess just 'cause I was fascinated by really big, metal things, lol. *shrugs* I think I remember passively noticing different signs out front, through the past couple of decades... Indicating changes in ownership or whatever. I THINK I remember noticing that it got a new paint job at one point too: I SWEAR I can recall it being more just... generally ORANGE, as opposed to the friendlier, pseudo-pastel palette it is today.

So ANYway, a week or two ago, I CONSIOUSLY noticed that there didn't really seem to be ANY activity on the grounds. (I mean, I've probably sorta been realizing this, in the back of my mind, for years now...) And also, the locked front gate, and the weeds growing through the driveway are a pretty good sign that someone HAS, in fact, vacated the premesis, I reckoned.

So I parked across the street at the Hardball place, and aproached via bicycle. (I figured it would be the quickest, least-obvious way to get there.) So as I'm approaching, I'm wondering what kind of obstacles I might find. How tightly did they seal the place up when they left? But hey! They left eveything completely wide-open for me! How thoughtful! (But by the same token; have you ever felt kinda "disappointed" when something [UE entry, for example] was TOO easy?)

Doing some quick web researching, the info I've found suggests that everything was shut down in 1993. But inside, I found a calendar on a wall of one of the offices, with the page opened to September 2000. And there was a copy of the Toronto Sun as well, with the front page news being the (then) developing crisis with the water in Walkerton.

Even though I drive by the place probably at least a couple times a week, I can't really remember what I've seen specifically going on there over the past 10 or 15 years. (Sorta like I said above.) It's prime land, for sure. I guess it's just a matter of whose responsibility it is to tear everything down and clean up. *shrugs*

The Marshall Steel side of things (the north side of the property) is not protected, or guarded, or closed AT ALL. But the Gerdau Ameristeel side (to the south) is all locked and boarded up. Maybe it's actually a secret military base, and they've got UFOs and aliens and stuff in there!!! Or maybe not. Hopefully I, or someone else, can detetermine what's inside, on a subsequent trip. I'm curious.

Anyway, it's late. So that's the end of my "story". This is my first entry/posting of a location into the database, so... I just wanted to FINALLY--after years of driving by--check the place out for myself. And post some pictures. *shrugs* And oh yeah: If you go? Watch out for the wasp nest in the little (relatively speaking) block building, near the bottom of the steps for the crane.