(Facebook/Bevra Fee)

By Nigel Maxwell

Heritage sites

Local resident fights to keep old Shellbrook CNR station standing

Apr 29, 2020 | 2:00 PM

Shellbrook town councillors are being asked to take a step back and take another look at the old CN rail station.

Bevra Fee wrote a letter, asking for a 90-day delay, before discussing and voting whether to repeal the municipal heritage designation. The town’s plans down the line include demolition. Fee said she’d hate to lose something as important as the CN rail station.

“The one in Shellbrook is so rare in Saskatchewan that it would be just a shame to have that gone because there’s so few of them left for us to look back at the heritage of a town or the heritage of the province,” she said.

Construction of the old CN rail station was completed in December 1909 and is one of the town’s earliest buildings. In 1988, the property was designated a Municipal Heritage Property and a group of dedicated volunteers have been helping to keep it running as a museum.

(Facebook/Bevra Fee)

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The town’s mayor has previously explained the amount of money needed to refurbish the building, was just no longer feasible for the small community. Fee, who is the managing director for the Northern Lakes Economic Development Corporation, said she believes the museum is not a lost cause.

“The fact it’s been used as their museum up until currently, gives it a flavour that it can’t be that far gone,” she said.

Going forward, Fee said there may be ways to lower costs, including removal of the designation.

“Because a lot of times the heritage designation makes upkeep and repairs more expensive because it has to be in keeping with certain materials and a certain look,” she said. “It may be very expensive to keep it going as a functioning museum but it might not be as much to keep it just a heritage site and non-occupied.”

Town council’s next meeting has been scheduled to take place on May 19. Anyone who wishes to weigh in on the proposed change in designation, has until May 16 to submit a letter. As of Wednesday, a spokesperson for the town said they received only one letter so far.

Fee, who has previous experience with council working on the Main Street Program, told paNOW she’s optimistic council will be reasonable and agree to work with her.

“‘I’m sure it was a hard decision for them to be even contemplate this because they all love their town and I know they identify with having that CN rail house there,” Fee said.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell