People upset after amazing towers on Leslie Spit in Toronto are torn down

Towers artfully made of construction waste on a side trail at the Leslie Spit were torn down much to the dismay of fans of the creative sculptures.

The towers appeared on the edge of Tommy Thompson Park, also known as the Leslie Spit, recently. The towers were on the shoreline at the east side of the park and looked as if they were stuck together with mortar.

The pillars have been constructed for a few years now and are attributed to a man named Robert.

As creative and beautiful as they are, each time they go up, they are removed when PortsToronto spots them.

The most recent structure made of concrete blocks, brick, rubble and other materials was torn down, Jessica Pellerin, media relations and public affairs specialist for PortsToronto tells blogTO.

The Concrete Castle at the Leslie Street Spit in Tommy Thompson Park, Toronto. Not sure who built this. I left a small gratuity of coins inside the heart of terracotta stones for you, with thanks. https://t.co/LzPvXMnGq5 pic.twitter.com/hvd4BXt1pX

— Freddie Saxon (@WordsmithSaxon) August 4, 2021

"At 18-feet in height, and no foundation or reinforcement, the structure posed a serious risk to public safety," Pellerin says.

She says when they started removing the structure, the instability made the towers tumble very quickly and easily.

"As beautiful as the structure was, we could not risk the bricks and materials falling on someone and causing harm or injury," she says.

The loss of these most recent towers upset some fans of the artwork.

"It's gone? That is a real shame," one person wrote on the Friends of the Spit Facebook group.

"Oh no this is terrible," another person wrote.

Some blamed social media posts for showing authorities the existence of the art. Others noted how there is dangerous construction material such as exposed rebars on the spit.

While most people agreed the towers were beautiful and the person who created them meant no harm, many noted how dangerous they could be if they fell over, particularly if a child was playing on them.

In the end, safety was deemed more important than creativity.

"Though we can understand that some are disappointed, the removal was necessary to ensure a safe environment for all park users," Pellerin says.