Freeman Station Just Might Become a Tourism Destination Instead of the Homeless Encampment It Became

By Pepper Parr

June 9^th, 2026

BURLINGTON, ON

More on the person camped at the rear of the closed Freeman Station.

Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns took the issue in hand and, in less than a day, was able to have the person living in a tent on the premises accept housing accommodation and then to have the property cleaned up.

Members of the former Friends of Freeman Station said at a meeting they held earlier today that they were advised that city staff were inspecting the site twice a week.

Somebody dropped the ball on that one, and Kearns wants to know why.

The Station is closed to the public, and there does not appear to be a plan in place for how to get the site open to the public.

Burlington Economic Development & Tourism Manager Claire Green meets with Freeman Station advocates to learn why the Station is currently closed to the public.

Burlington Economic Development and Tourism (BEDT)  has been approached to look into ways that the Station could be made a tourism destination for the city.

The former Friends of Freeman Station are keen to get back into the station and make it available to the public on weekends. The Not for Profit riends of Freeman station was dissolved when the NFP learned that they could not enter the station.

Claire Green, Manager of Destinations and Marketing for the BEDT met with the group this afternoon.

David Voight chaired the meeting.  When he was introduced to Green said: “I’ve seen your face somewhere.  When Voight said he was the Town Crier Green was surprised and delighted.

Greene told the meeting that she had never had a chance to tour the station.  Steps are being taken to arrange for Green to be taken on a tour as soon as possible.

A news story just may have been what was needed to get some attention on the state of Freeman Station.

To have such a valuable piece of local history shuttered and not available to the public is just unacceptable.

To have the station end up as a site that homeless people used as an encampment stunned many.

Ward 2 Councillor Lisa Kearns took the issue in hand and, in less than a day, was able to have the person living in a tent on the premises accept housing accommodation and then to have the property cleaned up.