Goodbye Stump (Smoke ’em if you’ve got ’em)

The scene Monday in front of Scotiabank Centre was loud. The Murray Demolition  company (I always wonder what the omnipresent Toronto demolisher Murray was like as a kid) was taking the last shots at what remained of the Bay Adelaide stump. The terrific sound of the giant jackhammer thing bounced off the surrounding buildings turning the whole area into a sort of industrial concert. The guy in the cherry picker would periodically douse it with water — either to keep the dust down or to keep it cool. The area around the stump has never seemed very big — but now that it’s nearly empty, the space seems huge.

All this destruction was entertainment for the many Scotiabank smokers across the street, pushed out to the edge of the property. I noticed them first, then saw that somebody chalked a “Smoking Kills” outline in their area, I guess to make them feel bad or worse about their habit — I can’t imagine they did it inform them of this news, that smoking is harmful. A few smokers who took note seemed unimpressed. A minute later a security guard came out, scuffed at it a bit with her foot, got on the horn and reported it to central command, scuffed again, talked to these Tim Hortons drinkers, then retreated back into our pinkest skyscraper. By now, the stump — standing sheepishly stubby since Mulroney was king — is dust, and Scotiabank employees are still smoking.