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(rshsdepot) Grimsby, Ontario



From the Toronto Star=2E=2E=2E

08/01/2002

Grimsby train station may get new life=20
=20
GRIMSBY - Train passengers may once again be sheltered in a historic=20
station whose waiting room closed to the public a century ago=2E=20
VIA Rail is looking at re-establishing a waiting room in the old=20
Great Western Railway (GWR) depot, which is now the home of Fork=20
Roads Pottery, a pottery and antique business=2E=20

VIA-officials in the last month have toured the Ontario Street=20
landmark, which was built in 1855 and is believed to be the fourth=20
oldest train station still standing in Canada=2E It is the oldest=20
GWR station of five still standing across southern Ontario=2E=20

VIA spokeswoman Catherine Kaloutsky said yesterday the depot is=20
one of several options being looked at by the company to improve=20
passenger service in Grimsby=2E She stressed no decision has been=20
made and couldn't say when one will be=2E=20

"At this point in time, they're just taking a look at what some=20
alternatives might be," she said=2E "We don't want to raise=20
expectations passengers will go there=2E We haven't made that=20
decision=2E"=20

Another option being looked at is to rebuild the small train=20
shelter that sits beside the mainline of the Canadian National=20
Railway=2E The shelter was erected in 1995 to replace a 1902=20
station destroyed in a $1-million fire, but the shelter has=20
been hammered by vandals=2E Grimsby is served by a commuter run=20
between Niagara Falls and Toronto and a VIA-Amtrak train between=20
Toronto and New York City=2E About 200 people ride the daily=20
commuter train, including about 20 from Grimsby=2E=20

Marsha Cox, co-owner of Forks Road, said Ken Rose, VIA's director=20
of properties, visited the station in July along with a VIA architect=20
from Montreal=2E They took photos and measured how far back the station=20=

sits from the tracks=2E In between the station and the tracks is a=20
parking lot where the 1902 station stood before it burned down=2E It=20
had operated as the Railhouse Restaurant since 1980, but also housed=20
the passenger waiting room=2E=20

Cox said Rose was "quite enthused" about using part of the depot for a
passenger waiting room=2E She is also intrigued=2E=20

"I think it would be fine and it would be quite an attraction for=20
Grimsby," Cox said=2E "We've filled a big space=2E It's pretty huge,=20
but we could move everything over=2E"=20

A portion on the eastside of the building was used as the waiting=20
room during its heyday as a train station=2E It was used by a=20
fruit-packing company until 1986=2E The depot then became a hardware=20
store until Fox and her partner Daniel Brenner took it over in 1997=2E=20

Enhancing Grimsby's service is part of VIA's $402 million Renaissance
program to improve rail service and facilities across Canada=2E It has
committed $20 million to its southern Ontario operations and is=20
turning its attention to Niagara after opening a new station in=20
London, Ont=2E, and spending $700,000 to renovate stations in=20
Brantford and Kitchener=2E=20

Kaloutsky said, as part of the program, the VIA station in Niagara=20
Falls is being painted and getting a new ticket counter while the St=2E
Catharines VIA station is getting a new roof=2E=20



Torstar News Service



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The Railroad Station Historical Society maintains a database of existing
railroad structures at: http://www.rrshs.org

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