(rshsdepot) Guelph, ON

["Bernie Wagenblast" <brwagenblast_@_home.com>]

Guelph weighs buying railway station

THE TORONTO STAR

GUELPH - City council has voted to look at acquiring the heritage railway
station on Carden Street.
The Guelph Chamber of Commerce and the city's visitor and convention
services have been identified as possible tenants to share the space with
the underutilized train ticket office if the owner, the Canadian National
Railway, decides to sell the property.

The station, built by the Grand Trunk Railway, which was later absorbed by
CN, is leased to Via Rail. The issue was raised because of reports that CN
is unloading some of its stations, including those in Gravenhurst and
Orillia, and that Via is not interested in holding the lease.

Last month a 2-2 vote by the city's finance committee prevented the issue
-From being brought to council, so Councillor Cathy Downer brought it forward
by way of a special resolution.

On Tuesday, councillors voted 8-4 to form a committee to develop a business
case for purchasing the station. Downer said some stations had been sold for
as little as a dollar, so the city should at least investigate the
possibility.

Councillor Dan Schnurr wants no part of the city acquiring another property.
He and councillors Rocco Furfaro and David Birtwistle have said the city
cannot afford to get into another property dilemma, after the expense of the
downtown arena and the Guelph Centre Mall.

On Tuesday night, Councillor Karl Wettstein took aim at comments that the
push to acquire the station was coming from the Friends of Guelph, a group
of local business people. Wettstein said it came from the city's own
downtown economic strategy committee.

Support for acquiring the station has come from the Chamber of Commerce, the
local architectural conservation advisory committee (LACAC) and the Best
Western Emerald Inn on Carden Street.

Andrew Bailey, general manager of the downtown hotel and restaurant, said in
a letter to council that having the visitor and convention services office
in the station would create a "destination point for travellers'' and have a
positive impact downtown.

LACAC chair David Nasby concurred, pointing out that the station would be
ideal for attracting tourists because of its heritage features and prominent
location.

Putting the chamber in the station would be a return to its roots. The
chamber, now on Woodlawn Road, was once located in the former Canadian
Pacific Railway station beside the Speed River at Eramosa Road, before the
station was demolished and the site redeveloped for apartments.

Bruce Poole, the city's chief building official, has inspected the CN site
and reported to council that the station would need an immediate investment
of $31,500 to repair windows, doors and other parts of the building.

Eventually it would need $236,500 in renovations to make it a facility that
could be leased. He said the city might be eligible for funding for repairs
because the station is designated a rail heritage building.

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