Let’s help to save Sri Lanka’s architectural heritage
Posted on January 17th, 2010

Asoka Weerasinghe Kings Grove Crescent . Gloucester . Ontario Canada

January 17, 2010

The Editor (Letters) The Ottawa Citizen

Sir:

Every year in our City of Ottawa, during the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Doors Open OttawaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ day we are allowed to take a peek inside OttawaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s most exciting buildings. We are asked to learn about their architectural, historical and functional significance. Visit elaborate embassies we are told among other buildings of architectural significance. Yet, Canada seems to have a callous disregard when it comes to other’s architectural heritage.

We have decided to demolish completely our embassy in Colombo which is the historical building, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Oliver CastleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ on GregoryƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Road, Colombo 7, built in 1800s and build a new Canadian Embassy building on the site. How come and why?

There is current anger seething in Toronto at plans to surround the old Ontario Provincial Legislature with high rises that would violate the aesthetic that surrounds the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Pink PalaceƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢. And yet, we seem to care a little what is historic in Sri Lanka. So we have decided to demolish the mansion built in the 1800s by Henry Joseph Peiris, a leading plumbago (graphite) exporter, which is one of the surviving heritage homes in Colombo.

Our excellent architects saved the historic Bank of Canada Building in Ottawa built in 1937, when they came up with an innovative design to construct CanadaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s Currency Museum around it in the late 1970s.

Of course our excellent architects can come up with an innovative architectural design to satisfy the needs of Canada as well as saving the heritage of Sri Lanka for her future generations. LetƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s save this architectural gem and reverse the decision to demolish the ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”Oliver CastleƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ forthwith.

Please Canada, let us respect Sri LankaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s heritage as much as we do ours.

Asoka Weerasinghe

2 Responses to “Let’s help to save Sri Lanka’s architectural heritage”

  1. jana Says:

    In the name of renovation our own architects are destroying the old buildings with the connivance of foreigners especialy in the Galle district. Not only are these antinationalists destroying the buildings but are changing there names. Dias abeyesinghe orphanage in galle which was given to the Anglican church for the orphans of Galle have been leased to a foreigner by the church. He has renamed it Dutch House. The Amunugama Walauwa the home of Meegastenne Adigar again leased to a foreigner is called Kandy House. Our Heritage is been destroyed by these antinational elements and no one raises any objection to it.

  2. alpha Says:

    And how can we forget the deliberate destruction of Buddhist historical artifacts by the LTTE bastards, they are already gone.

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