Murray River councillor says no to old train station demolition

By Melanie Jackson
msjacksonpei@gmail.com

Four vacant properties on Murray River’s Main Street are scheduled to be torn down this summer, but one village councillor says one of those buildings has historical significance and he wants to see it saved.

Garnet Buell said the former Murray River train station should be designated a heritage property because of the role it played in the community when the railway was still in use.

“(The station) is in better shape than I expected it to be,” Mr Buell said of the building that was added onto the back of the general store formerly owned by Bev Baird.

“I was in there with a couple of guys not long ago.”

The old store and its train station addition are now provincial property and are included in a tender call for the demolition of the four buildings.

However, Mr Buell hopes to exclude the train station from that demolition contract.

“All they have to do is take it out of the tender and move it back to a few feet from where it originally sat,” Mr Buell said, adding that “it would just take a few skids” to lift it safely away from the demolition site.

Mr Buell said he’s hoping to save the station because it’s close to his heart. It’s where he worked back in 1953 or ‘54, he said.

“It’s a shame to get rid of it because they just tear these old stations down and they’re gone forever,” he said.

The buildings were purchased by the Department of Transportation last year as part of its plan to widen and straighten out the curve on Main Street.

In May, the department issued a request for proposals for the demolition of the properties.

“The deadline for the proposals was May 31, and the department received six quotes,” Mary Moszynski, communications officer for the department, said.

Ms Moszynski said the department will be reviewing the proposals and the tender will be awarded over the next couple of weeks.

Mr Buell, however, thinks the province is funneling money into a project he feels isn’t necessary.

“I don’t think the curve (on Main Street) is that bad anyway,” he said. “They’re spending an awful lot of money when we could be putting money into something that can make money.”
Although the department has no plans to carry out the widening and realignment during this construction season, Ms Moszynski said the work could be carried out in the future.

“It would need to be considered along with departmental budgets and other identified capital priorities,” she said.

Mr Buell said he would like to see the old train station turned into a tourist attraction, a shop for locals, or even rooms to rent.

“Look at what that guy did with the old train station in Hazelbrook,” Mr Buell said. “He moved it to Eldon and did it all over and it’s beautiful. (The train station in Murray River) would make a really nice heritage property like that one.”

Ms Moszynski said the department purchased the four buildings for more than just the widening and realignment of Main Street.

“Although the purchase does allow for long-term projects such as the widening of the road or storm sewer improvements, the properties were purchased to improve sight lines,” she said, adding that the department is in discussions with the village regarding the train station.

For now, Mr Buell said his main concern is getting the train station excluded from the demolition contract.

“We just need to make the decision to save it, set it aside and decide what we can put in there to make some money so it can pay for itself and make it work for the village.”

Mr Buell said council will hold a meeting to discuss saving the train station and its potential use.

First appeared in The Eastern Graphic June 12, 2013