The village of Stenen, Sask., thinks it is one step closer to saving its abandoned grain elevator from the wrecking ball.
Mayor Merv Secundiak said a representative of CN Rail told him that CN would agree to the village taking over the lease on the land where the elevator sits.
The railway had said it would not allow Saskatchewan Wheat Pool, which owns the elevator, to transfer the lease on the land to the village.
The pool said it was not willing to sub-lease the land to the village, because the company would still be legally liable for problems that might arise at the site.
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Offer to sell
The pool has offered to sell the elevator to the village for $1 if the building is used for a “non-competitive purpose.”
Secundiak has been attacking the pool ever since the company decided it wanted to demolish the elevator. Twice the village has refused to give the pool a demolition permit.
Barry Couling of Sask Pool said news that CN may transfer the lease “opens the door” to the pool handing the elevator over to Stenen.
Pool president Leroy Larsen recently wrote to Secundiak offering to lobby CN to allow the village to take over the lease, if the village agreed to give the pool a demolition permit if it was not able to work out a deal with CN by Aug. 31.
