Photography :: The Canada Malting Co. Infiltration Mission, Inspired by Infiltration.org

It's hard to imagine that at one point in time, the very spot I stood was once a buzz with activity. A hellish roar would have prevailed as machines churned; intense overhead lights would have cast an irritating glow upon the surrounding mechanical labyrinth. Every time I venture into one of Toronto's many abandoned industrial buildings, these thoughts always cross my mind. It seems absurd that somewhere in the past, these places were home to hundreds of workers, for decades at a time, 365 days a year. Some large board of directors dedicated their lives into constantly upgrading and streamlining their operations, hoping to make their plant the best it could be.

Now it's all gone, and the empty and neglected monuments stand as reminders to all of us that everything comes to an end. Whenever I see a new building being constructed, I always wonder when and why that building will meet its fate. Wrecking ball? Implosion? Or perhaps a condo conversion? All those months of backbreaking labour will end up in a pile of rubble. As in life, too, I suppose. Chaos always wins in the end.

The derelict Canada Malt plant in Toronto lies right next to the Toronto Island Airport ferry dock at #5 Bathurst Street. I had driven by this massive structure (most notably its huge 150' silos) many times, and finally decided to go in for a closer look. Why does this building still stand after years of vacancy? Because it is a historical landmark in the eyes of the city. There was talk a while back about converting the Malt Plant into a music hall of fame - which would have to be the largest waste of money since the Skydome.

With the grain trade growing in North America in the late 1800s, a demand was created for more efficient grain storage facilities. The elevators of the 19th century were constructed out of wood and brick, with wooden interiors. Due to the explosive nature of grain dust, silos back then only had a life expectancy of 12-15 years. The search for fireproof materials with high tensile strength lead to research which found concrete to be the material of choice. The last standing 19th-century wooden elevator was destroyed by fire in 1908, which put the grain trade in Toronto on hold. In 1928, the opening of the Canada Malting Company (CMC) marked the arrival of the first grain shipments to the harbour in nearly 20 years. The CMC is considered an important example of the Modernist maxim "form follows function"; this design actually influenced the thinking of European Modernist architects. It was also considered a milestone in the history of Canadian civil engineering technology. The site was expanded in 1944 due to the increased need for war-purpose alcohol and food supplies.

The CMC silos are made up of two separate but adjacent modules: the silo unit, and the germination-kiln unit. There are four components that make up the silos: the original 1928 silos and head house, the 1944 silo extension and the marine leg. The original silo component contains 15 grain storage bins and stands 120 feet high, while the 1944 silo extension contains 14 bins and stands 150 feet high. Smooth, uninterrupted poured-concrete walls can be seen in this section, representing an advance in construction technology over the 1928 section.

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APT + Kontrabrand Video :: The Litany

Broadcast quality available upon request at thephatconductor.com. This is a music video to inspire peace, introspection, and growth. Concieved, scored, and edited by: Chris Sia, Eugene Steele & Dylan Lane.