Clarington council delays demolition of a WWII heritage site, granting a new assessment to decide the future of Camp 30’s historic cafeteria.
Historic WWII Site Granted a Temporary Reprieve
A piece of Canadian wartime history in Clarington, Ontario, has avoided the wrecking ball—at least for now. On Monday, Clarington council voted to grant a second structural assessment for the deteriorating cafeteria building at Camp 30, a former World War II prisoner-of-war site. The move gives heritage advocates one more chance to prove the landmark can be saved.
Preserving a Century of History
Originally built in the 1920s as part of a boys’ reform school, Camp 30 was converted during the Second World War to hold captured German officers. Today, only its cafeteria remains municipally owned and designated as a national historic site. Closed in 2008 and left to decay, the building has become a battleground between preservationists and budget-conscious officials.
Council’s Pivotal Decision
After nearly six hours of debate, councillors rejected immediate demolition, opting instead to allow an outside firm to reassess the building’s condition. “It was a relief,” said Marilyn Morawetz, chair of the Jury Lands Foundation (JLF), a non-profit advocating for Camp 30’s preservation. “If it’s stabilized, it can stand for decades—long enough for us to plan its future use.”
The Cost—and the Hope—for Restoration
A 2023 engineering report estimated it would cost $4.5 million to stabilize the structure for public use. But Matthew Jamieson, president of Manorville Homes—a builder specializing in heritage restorations—told council the project could be done for nearly half that amount. “We’ve worked on worse,” Jamieson said, citing his company’s successful restoration of the 19th-century Belmont House in nearby Newcastle.
Manorville will now conduct a full structural review within 30 days to produce a new cost estimate.
Community Commitment and Funding
The JLF has already secured $1 million toward the project—half from a federal heritage grant and half from matching municipal funds. Morawetz said her group is confident it can raise additional support once the assessment is complete. “We’ve been working toward this for years,” she told News. “This extension gives us the chance to prove restoration is not only possible but practical.”
Balancing Heritage with Fiscal Caution
Mayor Adrian Foster remains cautious. “The concern of spending money on something that’s not going to last still remains,” he said. Foster has previously suggested rebuilding a replica if the structure proves unsalvageable, arguing that preserving history doesn’t always require preserving the original materials.
For now, demolition is on hold. The coming month will determine whether the iconic cafeteria of Camp 30—a relic of both Canada’s reform-school past and its wartime legacy—can be stabilized or must finally fall.
