Freeman Station published summer schedule - make a point of touring the place - well worth your time.

News 100 redBy Pepper Parr

June 6th, 2019

BURLINGTON, ON

 

The Freeman Station has announced their operating hours.

Freeman hours

Freeman Junction sign BEST

The station is open today because of hard work done by a group of volunteers.

Interesting to note that they have items that are for sale and that the model railway in the lower level of the building is now open.

Every child from about the age of five should be given a chance to tour the place and begin to understand how Burlington grew from a farming and produce community to what it is today.

A group of people started six years ago to save the structure at a time when the city wasn’t even able to sell it as kindling.

Some brave souls worked hard to find a location and then to raise the funds to keep it in one piece and put it on a foundation – all during a time when the city had basically given up on the idea of their being an historic railway station that the public could tour.

Freeman-five-1024x906

Some of the people that made the Freeman Station possible at a city council meeting.

A developer, (the Molinaro Group) with some prodding from a ward Councillor was able to put some Section 37 money into the building and when a particularly tough time hit them then Mayor Rick Goldring came through for them.

The Freeman Station is now a fact – built and operational – now what to do with it?

The hours of operation are impressive – it will call for a lot of volunteer time to keep the doors open. The people that did such a marvelous job of refurbishing the place do not have the skill set to market it effectively and run it on a day to day basis.

brant-museum-rendering

Rendering of Brant Museum – scheduled to open in July.

It needs a home within the city bureaucracy – the most obvious home is within the Museums Burlington set up that over sees Ireland House (which is very well run) and the transformed Joseph Brant Museum that as sucked up some $10 million in public money and is scheduled for a July opening.

Barbara Teatero, Executive Director Museums Burlington

Barbara Teatero, Executive Director Museums Burlington

The paucity of information that has come from the Museum operation has been a situation that is part of the way the current Executive Director has operated. There will soon be an occasion for new leadership of the Museum operation – once the city treasurer gets used to the kind of money the transformed Museum is going to need to be operational.

Some major surprises coming on that front.

Culture has never been a top of mind issue for city council – it is seen as a nice to have – something every city Burlington’s size has – but for Burlington not something that there is much heart and soul in.

Return to the Front page
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

Comments are closed.