By Pepper Parr
March 19th, 2018
BURLINGTON, ON
The most impressive community development event in the city has to have been the saving of the Freeman train station.
The 1906 era railway station that served Burlington for ages was due to become scrap until a dedicated group of citizens pleaded with city council to be given an opportunity to save the structure. The members of the current council, with two exceptions, didn’t make it easy.
We are asked if we have to always bring this up – and yes we do. Because the day that a ribbon is cut to celebrate an Official opening of the station to recognize the financial support the city finally gave the Friends of Freeman Station(FoF) – you can bet the farm that every member of Council will be in the photo op, including those that didn’t support the idea.
They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building.
The people that deserve the credit are those that put in weekend after weekend painting, sanding, sawing and moving things around the station.
The Freeman Station now has a very extensive collection of artifacts – most from citizens who remember the occasions when they caught a train from that station that used to be on the CN line off Brant just north of Fairview. Of course Fairview hasn’t always been a Burlington Street.
The basement space will house a computer control system fora historic model railway. The interactive, museum-quality model railway diorama will depict life in the village of Freeman (now part of Burlington) in the early 1900’s.
The transformed Freeman Station is close to being completed – the final drive to finish the basement level that will have model railway that will replicate what Burlington looked like when the railway station was a major mode of transportation.
There is still some work to be done on the flooring and some display case issues that need to be worked out.
One of the bigger problems is where to put everything – there is far too much to put everything on display at the same time.
The focus – and the big push at this point – is to make the best of the offer the city made: Raise $50,000 and the city will match it dollar for dollar. .
The FoF have had much success selling Whinstones. About 100 are sold and there are about 100 more available.
About 80 of the Whinstones are reserved for soldiers whose names are written on the Burlington Cenotaph. We know many soldiers left from the Freeman Station to go to war and we want to remember them in granite as well.
That pile of stones are a big part of the city’s history. They used to be used as ballast in ships that tied up at Burlington wharves. They are being sold as part of the fund raising program.
The fund raising committee wants to sell the remaining 100 Whinstones at $100 each that will generate $10,000 that will be matched by the city. Those who purchase a Whinstone also get a tax receipt for the full $100 amount for their 2018 tax year. Once we sell the last one later this year – the donor’s names will go on the north wall of the Station.
The FoF have received over $10,000 in donations since January 1, 2018. That $200,000 target is very real – so there is a lot of work to do.
A Spaghetti Dinner night is an idea that is being thought about. One of the biggest problems on the fund raising side is getting people to take on the organizing of these events. The FoF volunteers tend to be people who are good at woodworking and refurbishing stuff. They need help on event management.
There are about 3 T-shirts in Blue size XL for $25 each and a dozen mugs at $40 each which includes a mug (with a picture of the Station on it) +$10 Tim Card (with a picture of the Station on it) plus a 1 year membership card (with a picture of the Station on it).
This is a project that has brought out the best in the city. They need a bit of a boost to get over this last hump.
The Freeman Station just before sunset.
What happens when the work is done and the station is ready for the public on a regular basis? What will the hours be? What will the station need in terms of staffing? The building belongs to the city even though the volunteers have made it as valuable as it is.
Could – should the Freeman station become part of the Museums of Burlington operation?
