VIA Rail

[yrt+viva=1system]

There are certain buildings that are of historical significance such as a landmark building but should all old buildings be heritage? Would you classify an old laundromat from the 60s as historic if is been unused for decades?

It was mentioned that the building was protected under federal railway heritage laws.

 

[crs1026]

There are certain buildings that are of historical significance such as a landmark building but should all old buildings be heritage? Would you classify an old laundromat from the 60s as historic if is been unused for decades?

Ontario's Heritage Act (which may be a bit different than the federal legislation) sets three criteria for designating a structure as a heritage building. In laymans' terms, the building gets points for

- architectural significance
- connection to persons or events of significance
- connection to "daily life" in the context of that community

So yes, an old laundromat that has no architectural merit might well be designated, if someone important once used it, and/or if it were a landmark for that part of the town, or a historical "gathering place" for a community.

A building doesn;t have to be "pretty" to be designated.

- Paul

 

[muller877]

Ontario's Heritage Act (which may be a bit different than the federal legislation) sets three criteria for designating a structure as a heritage building. In laymans' terms, the building gets points for

- architectural significance
- connection to persons or events of significance
- connection to "daily life" in the context of that community

So yes, an old laundromat that has no architectural merit might well be designated, if someone important once used it, and/or if it were a landmark for that part of the town, or a historical "gathering place" for a community.

A building doesn;t have to be "pretty" to be designated.

- Paul

We will see in the coming months with the Glen Abbey lawsuit(s) how far reaching some of these "connections" are. There is a fine line between what is heritage and NIMBY-ism.

 

[innsertnamehere]

Glen Abbey is going to be gone. Heritage act's cannot perpetuate a single use - only structures. Grass isn't heritage.

 

[crs1026]

The other interesting one is going to be Ontario Place - given that the government has documented the case for its heritage preservation.

I bet this gets scubbed when word get around.

- Paul

PS - moving back on topic now.

 

[littlewill1166]

Got some photos of Ingersoll station here, first one shows the caved in roof:

Orange sign says danger due to construction, red and white sign says danger keep out.

 

[cplchanb]

Ontario's Heritage Act (which may be a bit different than the federal legislation) sets three criteria for designating a structure as a heritage building. In laymans' terms, the building gets points for

- architectural significance
- connection to persons or events of significance
- connection to "daily life" in the context of that community

So yes, an old laundromat that has no architectural merit might well be designated, if someone important once used it, and/or if it were a landmark for that part of the town, or a historical "gathering place" for a community.

A building doesn;t have to be "pretty" to be designated.

- Paul

so bbbyy that logic, a public toilet that the Ford took a dump in could one day be a ""heritage building"

 

[crs1026]

so bbbyy that logic, a public toilet that the Ford took a dump in could one day be a ""heritage building"

Hehe. Seriously, Anyone can nominate a property for designation, the first step is, they have to make their case to the local town council who may or may not approve. If approved, there is an appeals process,.... not all property owners appreciate having their property designated. So the thing may end up in court. Basically, the historical aspects have to be proven with a fair degree of evidentiary rigour.

So to your scenario.... the historical event would have to be proven in court...... you know, evidence, eyewitnesses, cross examination, etc. Ugh.

- Paul

 

[steveintoronto]

Wednesday, July 16th, 2014 2:39pm

(TikiTrex/YouTube screen capture)
The Town of Ingersoll wants CN to either repair or raze its run-down former train station

INGERSOLL – The Town of Ingersoll will ask the Canadian National Railway to do something about their dilapidated former train station located at 45 Thames Street South.

"We're asking CN to make a decision on [the building]," said Mayor Ted Comiskey.

"Whether they're going to fix it up and put it back into a condition of usefulness, or whether they're going to remove it before some trespasser is hurt badly," he said.

The historic building has deteriorated to an unsound state. It's apparent people have been bypassing its boarded up windows and doors and trespassing in the crumbling structure.

"We're very, very nervous about somebody getting hurt or something happening that would be disastrous," Comiskey said.

The station was constructed in 1886 by Great Western Railway. In 1979, VIA Rail took over train operations on the line and abandoned the station in favour of a wooden-frame shelter built next to the old station, according to a staff report.

The run-down building is on federally-owned land and therefore the municipality has no jurisdiction over it.

"Even our own by-laws don't apply to the condition of the building. All we can do is bring it to the attention of [CN] and then hopefully they will address the situation," Comiskey said.

Due to the style of construction used to build the old train station, moving or restoring the structure would be expensive and "very, very difficult."

"It likely would crumble if you tried to somehow excavate it up out of there," he said. "Then you would have certainly the soils that are around there with the old train station that would be contaminated."

"It's a really tough, tough situation," Comiskey said. "It would have to be totally dismantled and rebuilt."

The building is listed on the town's Municipal Heritage Inventory, however it hasn't been designated under the Ontario Heritage Act or the Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act, the staff report states.

Town council approved sending the letter to CN at a council meeting Monday night.

http://www.heartfm.ca/news/local-news/ingersoll-train-station/

"The run-down building is on federally-owned land and therefore the municipality has no jurisdiction over it" is misleading. It's owned by CN. The land is 'federally regulated' not 'owned' but the author's gist is otherwise correct.

 

[littlewill1166]

- Wifi sucks and probably shouldn’t be satellite based, hopefully future trains use Cellular Based Wifi

I'm pretty sure that it's cellular, and that satellite is used only as a fallback for areas with bad coverage (if at all).

Edit: turns out that the network is cellular only and shares a similar architecture to the one on the Acela Express (no wonder wifi isn't available on the Canadian/Regional Trains). https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/skype-on-a-train/article4308674/

 

[smallspy]

- Wifi sucks and probably shouldn’t be satellite based, hopefully future trains use Cellular Based Wifi

I'm pretty sure that it's cellular, and that satellite is used only as a fallback for areas with bad coverage (if at all).

Edit: turns out that the network is cellular only and shares a similar architecture to the one on the Acela Express (no wonder wifi isn't available on the Canadian/Regional Trains). https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/travel/skype-on-a-train/article4308674/

It's been cellular for quite some time, going on close to 10 years now. Which also happsns to explain why it always flakes out around the Cornwall area - the service from the US side overpowers the service from the Canadian side, and causes it to drop out.

Dan

 

[ShonTron]

Believe it or not, the Northlander had wifi, also cellular based. I made a return trip to Moosonee in May 2012 and a one-way trip south from Cochrane in September 2012 (both trips to get my last rides in) and the service was surprisingly good with the exception of North Bay-Temagami, where the railway is a considerable distance from Highway 11.

 

[Garuda]

Believe it or not, the Northlander had wifi, also cellular based. I made a return trip to Moosonee in May 2012 and a one-way trip south from Cochrane in September 2012 (both trips to get my last rides in) and the service was surprisingly good with the exception of North Bay-Temagami, where the railway is a considerable distance from Highway 11.

You had good cell service between Moosonee and Cochrane? I’m surprised.

 

[ShonTron]

You had good cell service between Moosonee and Cochrane? I’m surprised.

Uh, no. I mentioned only the Northlander having wifi.

 

[crs1026]

No easy place to put this news clipping, so here it is in the VIA thread, the connection being it’s about provincial funding announced for Sarnia-London bus service, and a proposed “bypass” at Strathroy....which I suspect is simply relaying the second track that Harrison pulled out while he was CEO at CN.

The article led me to this report by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.... which is moderately influential in PC circles.....

- Paul