Dear residents,
Work is currently underway to prepare the Cascades Train Station for its relocation which is now scheduled for the week of April 18th. Council had hoped to find a temporary storage location near or on the community trail, however there were challenges ranging from the presence of wetlands, planned construction, risk of vandalism, to insufficient time to consult with the community. These challenges made finding a site on the trail impossible given the time constraints.
Several locations for the station’s storage had been considered including: the Farm Point parking lot, the Cascades sector (where the station was originally located), the Farm Point Community Centre near the planned Seniors’ Home, and the municipal land between Mill and Church Roads.
Last week, Council made the decision to move the train station to municipal land located at the intersection of Old Chelsea Road and Highway A-5 adjacent to the new active transportation link planned to connect Chelsea Village to Mine Road. The Municipality and Hendrick Farm are developing this site in a public-private partnership.
Consultations will be held with the Gatineau Valley Historical Society (GVHS), the community and other stakeholders to determine where the train station will be placed permanently, and how it will be restored and used. For now, it will be an attractive reminder in the Village of our rail heritage.
Faux shutters will be secured against the doors and windows to be consistent with the building architecture, for security and to provide access to the building for planning purposes only. On this site, the station can be viewed by the public, and external signage will be developed with the GVHS that describes our rail history.
On behalf of the entire community and Council, I would like to thank all who contributed in many different ways to save this important piece of our history.
Sincerely,
Caryl Green
Mayor
