Rothesay to look into buying historic railway station

Rothesay council voted unanimously Tuesday night to investigate whether the town should buy a 165-year-old railway station now up for sale.

The station is the only National Historic Site in the southern New Brunswick community 16 kilometres east of Saint John. 

Council asked staff to report on the possibility of buying the building after a presentation by resident Michael Wennberg, who said a decision on the building’s fate has become more urgent recently.

“Although some of us have been working on this project for over a year, just this month, the fact that the building was listed for sale for commercial purposes caught us completely off-guard. So hence the urgency in our request,” Wennberg told council.

The train station was saved in 1975 from demolition after the Canadian National Railway announced it would be abandoning the building, Wennberg said. In 1976, the National Historic Site plaque was unveiled.

Wennberg said the building “needs saving again, but this time permanently and this time for community purposes.”

He said the town would even be eligible for federal funding through Parks Canada if it acquired the station.

What council members said

Deputy Mayor Matt Alexander was the first to voice his support in the council meeting.

“It’s important for us to try and build upon those efforts that [that] group of individuals, residents put forth in the 1970s and, you know, for the town to obtain ownership of the building, restore it for future generations, and learn from what’s happened in the past and to enjoy what might be available for its future,” said Alexander.

He said it is important to recognize the role the railway played in Rothesay and across the country.

Coun. Peter Lewis called the station “a cornerstone of our town.”

Coun. Tiffany Mackay French asked how quickly the town would have to act to purchase the building. 

Rothesay town manager John Jarvie said next steps for the town would be to contact the owner or agent to inquire about potentially buying the building.

From there, he said the town would identify the costs of owning the building, such as esthetic and structural repairs, the property lease with Canadian National Railway, property taxes and insurance.

The building is listed at $298,000, according to the Remax Commercial listing.

Wennberg said the residents trying to save the building would fundraise for restoration and operation costs, once it’s been acquired by the town.

“I don’t mean dollars and cents. We have people who are seriously interested in supporting the town in its effort for the restoration of the building,” he said.

In his presentation, Wennberg provided a list of possible uses for the building if the town bought it, including a community centre, a museum, a restaurant or café, a performance venue.

Mayor Nancy Grant said for a restaurant, the location is a little “off the beaten track” from the business area of town.

“One thing I’ve been thinking about is doing a phone app for a historic walking tour of Rothesay, which I don’t think we’ve done,” said Grant. “That would lead people down to the station and to whatever decision is made.”

This story was originally published in CBC News on April 11, 2023.