Goodbye CKCO: Crews complete teardown of CTV Kitchener's former home

The long-time home of CTV News Kitchener is now nothing more than a memory.

Demolition crews knocked down the last sections of the structure, at 864 King Street West, on Thursday morning.

While the building has been reduced to rubble, it will continue to live on in the memories of employees.

“I started here in 1977,” said retired reporter David Imrie. “I had 38 glorious years working here.”

That included the era when CKCO journalists wore those iconic red jackets.

• PHOTO GALLERY: History of CTV Kitchener told through photos

Imrie also recalled the heyday of the 1980s, when about 350 people worked out of 864 King Street West.

“It was hustling and bustling, it was 24-hour news operation,” he explained. “I worked some long nights in this building, and some long days.”

David Imrie stands outside what remains of 864 King St. West in Kitchener. (Krista Simpson/CTV News)

The station’s presence extended well beyond the borders of Waterloo Region.

“I travelled to the [United] States and would have people coming up and saying hello to me because they recognized me,” Imrie said.

The King Street West building is also where he met his future wife.

“A young lady came into the building in 1978 for an interview with me,” he recalled. “Little did I know that about two years later I would be walking down the aisle with this young lady. Now we are almost 45 years married.”

The community also has fond memories of the building.

“Over the years I had many opportunities to visit the station and be on shows like Provincewide and on the news, as well as celebrate things like Toy Mountain,” said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

CTV, he added, has always played an integral role in the community.

“You think about all the things that have happened in Kitchener, throughout Canada and around the world over the last 70 years, and you really always captured the reactions of Kitchener residents and told the story from a Kitchener perspective, which has been so, so important,” said Vrbanovic.

In November 2023, CTV Kitchener moved to its new home – where Lulu’s Roadhouse used to stand.

Demolition at 864 King Street West, meanwhile, didn’t begin until October. 

• PHOTO GALLERY: CTV Kitchener's former home is torn down

“You know, it’s a little sad,” said Imrie. “We had so many lasting friendships that were created in this building – friendships that started when I started here in 1977, which I still have today.”

As for what’s next, an application has been submitted to build a 45-storey residential tower on the property. City council will review that proposal next Monday.

To watch the building's demolition, check out the timelapse in the viewer at the top of this page.