ELORA – The demolition of a collapsed structure at the Elora Greenspace has been pushed back to winter 2027, as the owners of a neighbouring hotel raise concerns about the loss of a historic structure and the impact its collapse had on their property.
In a news release Thursday, the Township of Centre Wellington says it continues to work with Suncor, the property owner, to coordinate the permits and plans needed to demolish the remaining structure.
Following a recent meeting between the Township and Suncor, the demolition was deferred to minimize disruption to residents, visitors and seasonal events taking place in and around Elora in November and December.
The Township says a structural assessment has been completed and the remaining structure has been deemed safe in its current condition until demolition proceeds.
“Public safety remains the Township’s priority as demolition plans are finalized,” the Township said in a news release, adding “The Township’s role is to ensure the work proceeds safely, with all required permits in place and minimal disruption to the community.”
However, the Kat Florence Hotel Elora has shared its concerns about the building’s history and the circumstances surrounding its collapse in a Facebook post.
The hotel says the structure was once the stables of the original Commercial Hotel, where guests’ horses were kept overnight. According to the post, the building’s rooflines also appear in paintings by the Group of Seven, and it was later used to store the monsters for Sensation Elora.
“It never received the care or restoration a structure of that age needs,” the post said.
The hotel says the stable building collapsed onto its property in 2025. It also shared video showing people walking through the laneway beside the building the night before the collapse, followed by footage of the damage the next morning.
According to the hotel, it paid $21,463.88 for cleanup crews and contractors to make the site safe for tenants and neighbours.
“We braced the standing walls so nothing else could fall. We also set aside the historic limestone, quarried from the Elora Quarry to build the stables, in the hope of putting it back where it belongs,” the post read.
The hotel says it offered to cover the full cost of restoring the stables, describing it as an investment worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the offer was declined.
The post also raises concerns about the loss of a piece of Elora’s history, noting the building was deemed not to be a heritage structure this year, and its owners were given permission to demolish it in the coming year.
“The stables once served the Commercial Hotel, now the Kat Florence Hotel. Same age, same limestone, same street. One was cared for, one was not. That difference is everything,” the hotel wrote.
Meanwhile, the Township says Suncor is working toward expanding the greenspace once the shed is removed, with the goal of providing more accessible outdoor space for residents and visitors.
The Township says further information will be shared once the demolition schedule and related plans are confirmed.
