An X-ray tour of the bolder, more adventurous urban landmarks that once populated Canada's streetscapes. Theyre all gone, but Raymond Biesinger's brilliantly stylized drawings and Alex Bozikovic's deeply informed texts turn this into a lively wake for the stylish architectural ghosts that lurk along our sidewalks. -- Doug Saunders, author of Maximum Canada A gorgeous new book of illustrations celebrating hundreds of examples of the nations demolished buildings. -- Fish Griwkowsky * Calgary Herald * A joy-filled package delivering an equally joy-filled outcome. * [ EDIT]ION * It makes for wistful reading, these reminders of what weve lost, even in those cases when buildings more functional and important have taken their place. But its a worthwhile journey just the same. -- Adele Weder * Canadian Architect * Some of the lost buildings mentioned in the book were important architectural gems while others, such as Honest Eds and Sam the Record Man buildings in Toronto, are lost iconic landmarks. -- Vicki Gilhula * Sudbury.com * Through [ Bozikovics] pithily informative short descriptions and [ Biesingers] handsomely detailed black-and-white drawings, Canadas ghostly buildings-that-were have effectively been resurrected. -- Danny Sinopli * The Globe and Mail * Theatres, hotels and industrial plants from St. Johns to Victoria come to life again in this engrossing work of social history by architecture critic Bozikovic and illustrator Biesinger. Fire and the mid-20th-century mania for urban renewal may top the list of direct causes, but a host of factors were involved, including technological revolution and changing tastes. -- Brian Bethune * Macleans * 305 Lost Buildings of Canada reads like a nostalgic road trip. Showing you buildings and places that you might remember, spots you've never seen, and spaces that you wish you could have seen. Sometimes sad, sometimes shocking, this volume is a beautiful blend of story, architecture, and history. -- Falen Johnson, co-host of The Secret Life of Canada It might be hard to feel sentimental about what we cannot see; certainly, we cannot be sentimental about what we do not know. These vignettes, stories of a time and place that hinge on a building that was often a reflection of something bigger, are an invaluable contribution to the history of settlement in Canada, the continual process of creation and recreation that shapes urbanization, and our built heritage. Biesinger and Bozikovic's artistry is in hooking a bigger story to that of a single building, and they evoke both wonder and a sense of loss in doing so. I am glad to have read 305 Lost Buildings of Canada, and I hope to become a better city builder for it. -- Jennifer Keesmaat, former Toronto Chief City Planner
