HOMES ON THE BAY HOME TRENDS
R E V I V I N G
Giants Grand old barns are getting a new life.
BY ANYA SHOR
R
ABOVE Some old barns are extensively transformed with modern amenities and technology. BELOW The octagonal barn, affectionately named George, dates back to the late 1800s.
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SUMMER 2022 ON THE BAY
// PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANYA SHOR
URAL ONTARIO IS DOTTED with sleepy old giants. Their
roofs, like hoods, set dramatically against a big sky. Some stand tall and proud, a testament to the labour of men and strong, sensible construction. Others are threadbare and leaning precariously towards the earth from which they sprang. A barn, like a living thing, requires heat to ensure its survival, existing symbiotically with the bodies it is designed to keep. Without the body heat, the mortar crumbles. Left to the inevitable effects of entropy, an unused old barn can become a safety hazard, often in need of being torn down. Each barn gone is a piece of lost history. Now as more people acquire farm properties for purposes other than farming, many are envisioning a new life for these giants. There are few structures as beautiful and awe-inspiring in scale and atmosphere, or that allow for such a range of possibilities. As people increasingly look for ways to expand living spaces, rethink the way they entertain and gather, or rearrange the way they work—especially in creative endeavours—barns afford limitless reinvention and repurposing. Some are left as is, rejuvenated merely with activity and care; some are extensively transformed with modern amenities and technology. Either way, preservation of these historical structures is necessary and much appreciated. One such giant named George, sits perched high above the Bay, with sweeping views of the water and surrounding land. Dating back to sometime in the late 1800s, it is recognizable immediately for its unusual shape—the octagonal construction is thought to have been efficient for storing hay—and has often drawn people to the property for a closer look.
