It took perseverance and some political courage but the Freeman Station has been saved.

By Pepper Parr

BURLINGTON, ON October 16, 2012    It might set a record for the longest slowest train the city has ever seen but it looks as if it is going to have a station to pull into.  City Council last night agreed to sign a Joint Venture with the Friends of Freeman Station that is now an incorporated entity.

The Friends have charitable status and can raise funds and issue tax receipts which will allow them to get on with the task of totally rehabilitating the station that currently sits on blocks next to the fire station on Plans Road.

It has been a long arduous citizens battle and while the struggle isn’t over the opponent now  is not city council or city staff but a Canadian winter.

Sign announces the new home for the Freeman Station – made possible by a $1 a year lease for the next three years from Ashland Canada.

The wording of the Joint Venture between the city and the Friends isn’t totally known but James Smith, President of the Friends of Freeman Station believes he will have the document in hand very soon after which they can begin the process of moving station the 100 yards or so onto the property where it will sit for the next couple of years while the renovation takes place.

In the past year we have seen the city involve community groups in the creation of policy and in the development of projects that can best be done by citizens on their own.  Heritage Burlington came up with proposals for the management of the way heritage buildings are identified and protected; they did such a good job that the city now has the Advisory group reporting directly to a council committee.

For the life of them, this city council and the one before them could not find a suitable location for the Freeman Station – they actually got to the point where the city placed advertisements in the papers asking if anyone would just haul the thing away.  It wasn’t just city council that wore the veil of shame – some city staff plainly didn’t want the station to exist and they didn’t exactly tell the whole story when they described the structure to a council committee.

They had every reason to be smiling. Councillors Meed Ward and Lancaster pose with five members of the Friends of Freeman Station after the Council meeting that approved the entering into of a Joint Venture that would have the Friends moving the station and taking on the task of renovating the building. shown are:John Mello, James Smith, Reg Cooke, Councillor Meed Ward, George Curran, Councillor Blair Lancaster  and Brian Aasgaard 

At what was the turning point for the survival of the station, Councillor Meed Ward along with Councillor Blair Lancaster, proposed that the city allow some time for the creation of a citizens committee that would take on the task of finding a home for the station and then raising the funds to refurbish the structure.

There weren’t a lot of supportive voices at that council meeting but Mead Ward persevered and council agreed to give them some time.  Councillor Sharman was pretty insistent at that time that if the group could not find a home or raise the funds – then they would go along with getting rid of the building.  It certainly wasn’t his best day as a council member or civic leader.

The Friends of Freeman Station did it – they found a home, they raised some money and they went through the arduous process of getting a Joint Venture agreement with the city in place.

Now the real work begins and if you’d like to be part of that real work – take in the Strategy meeting [planned for Saturday, October the 27th at city hall.

That’s when the nuts and bolts of moving the station from its blocks next to the fire station on Plains Road to the site they have for the next three years for certain and six years if they need it.  A foundation will be put in and the station moved,. Ideally before winter.  Then they will cover up the structure to protect it from further deterioration and plan for the Spring and Summer of 2013 when a lot of work will be done.

Make a fashion statement and support the renovation of the Freeman Station.

The next big step for the Friends of Freeman Station is a fund raising drive. If you care to donate you can double the value of your donation by sending the funds to the Friends of Freeman via the Historical Society who have agreed to match every donation dollar for dollar up to a total of $5000.

Send you donations to: Friends of Freeman Station, 3023 New Street, P.O. Box 91536, Roseland Plaza, Burlington ON,  L7R 4L6

Get used to the idea of seeing Freeman Station sitting out there on the north side of Plains Road next to the fire station but don’t see it as the permanent location for this structure.

It belongs on the railway embankment down on the Beachway and it will eventually end up there.  The public will that saved the station will eventually get translated into political will.

 

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