A building that served the community for nearly a century has succumbed to the jaws of heavy machinery.
Franklyn Street Gymnasium and Auditorium, built in 1922 according to the City of Nanaimo Heritage Registry, had been in continuous use as a gym and community centre until it was damaged by a fire in 2018.
Over the years, the gym served the Quennell School that once stood at the corner of Franklyn and Selby streets before it was replaced by the Nanaimo District Secondary School in the 1950s. It was also used by the Tillicum Lelum Aboriginal Society, which used the gym to serve vulnerable youth and families.
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The floor of the gym was salvaged and will be moved to Pleasant Valley Elementary School.
The gym was torn down over two days, Wednesday and Thursday.
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