11 May 2010

Train Station Construction Begins

Esquimalt & Nanaimo station at Nanaimo sometime after the fire.

Nanaimo Vancouver Island British Columbia - Work starts today on the first phase of reconstruction of the Nanaimo train station.
 
The Island Corridor Foundation has given approval for the station rehabilitation project to go ahead, based on contributions made to date to the fundraising campaign.
 
Arson struck the Nanaimo train station in August 2006, just as the Island Corridor Foundation was working to rebuild the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway.
 
A fundraising campaign has been going since then. That campaign was temporarily derailed by the untimely death of Blair McKinnon, the lead fundraiser, on 11 Apr 2010.
 
Now the campaign is back on track and the community has come out in full support.
 
It's still $118,000 away from its target but organizers are confident the goal will be met.
 
"We're now comfortable we will not run out of funding during the first phase," said Andre Sullivan, Young Professionals of Nanaimo president. The organization is leading the charge to rebuild the station.
 
Phase 1 work starting today will see the building's foundation, exterior, and roof replaced.
 
"In some ways it's nice to see some action there but it also puts a time line into our fundraising," Sullivan said.
 
"We're still about $118,000 short but (hopefully we will) see the same support from the community."
 
The $1.3-million project has $896,000 from VIA Rail from the fire insurance policy on the building.
 
Recent big donations include $10,000 from Windsor Plywood, $5,000 each from Coast Realty, law firm Manning and Kirkhope, and DTZ Barnicke.
 
A celebrity football game in memory of McKinnon planned 29 May 2010 at Caledonia Park is expected to raise $85,000. To donate visit www.nanaimoTrainStation.org.
 
Darrell Bellaart.