Last summer almost marked the end of the line for an old train station at Souris, Man.
The town council approved a demolition permit in July. But for seven months the building remained standing, a defiant reminder of how rail service helped the region prosper.
That defiance may soon end.
In a Feb. 25 interview, one of the owners of the property said demolition would begin this week. Gareth Boys, of Brandon, Man., believes ample time was given for anyone wanting to save the building.
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“They’re just not resolving anything,” Boys said. “All they’re doing is dragging things out.”
Boys and Eric Dowsett, also of Brandon, bought the train station for $6,000 in the fall of 1997. They planned to demolish it and salvage the lumber.
According to the demolition permit, they have until Dec. 31 to have the structure torn down and the site cleared.
Committee at work
A local committee and the Manitoba Heritage Federation were working on ways to save the building. They wanted the train station restored.
“We certainly are anxious to save it,” said Averill Whitfield, chair of the Souris station committee. “We know there’s a very strong feeling for this building.”
More than 1,300 people signed a petition in favor of saving the building, Whitfield said. The station was once a hub of rail transportation in southwestern Manitoba.
One idea put forward was to use the building as an administration office for a regional health authority. Whitfield hoped one room could be kept as an interpretive centre.
An appraisal last year pegged the value of the structure at $127,000, said Chris Vogel, a heritage federation director.
The federation was still trying to arrange a charitable tax receipt this month in exchange for the train station. That would give Dowsett and Boys a tax deduction in return for the building.
But Boys said he and Dowsett would receive only $12,000 each under such an arrangement. He described that amount as unacceptable.
Meanwhile, the heritage federation was pursuing other avenues, including an application to have the building designated a provincial heritage site.
Whitfield said the owners raised the price of the building to $200,000.
“We just have to deal with the owners and let them know their demands are unreasonable. They can make money from it without having to tear it down.”
