People who are familiar with Melville know that when they look south down Main Street, they’ll see one of the city’s most prominent landmarks: the CN station.
Lately, with a lot of work done by the Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA) volunteers, people will notice it’s changed remarkably from the once greying, dilapidated structure it has been for a number of years.
The north side in particular looks different, with green-hued siding almost totally complete, along with newer windows and the cedar shakes that were put on the roof.
“Our full energies this year have been on the north side,” explained MRSHA’s Lin Orosz. “Previously, we’ve worked at removing the stucco and replacing some windows on the north and east side.”
An important aspect of restoring the building was to keep it true to the original design, but ensure it would be updated to be usable for tenants, whether it is for office space or a business venture.
“An important consideration is, had we restored the old windows, we’d have to take a look down the line and we’d have to be cognizant of the heating costs for when we have tenants there,” said Orosz. “The windows that we put in there are just the inserts. Whenever possible we’ve saved the frames and the sashes and stuff like that.
“We tried to maintain as much original framing as we could. We’ve really wanted to remain true to the building’s heritage.”
The volunteers and a crew from Whitespruce Provincial Training Centre, along with contractor Don Houston, who has been overseeing the project, put in many hours last summer. Visitors to the site can see things taking shape.
“We’ve been there for one to two days a week, right from the start of June,” Orosz added. “We had to replace the siding and we’ve primed it and we still have to give it a final coat.”
As more work gets done, more people are taking notice, and it isn’t always local people who take the time to connect with the group.
“I think the amount of interest that has been generated is quite phenomenal,” Orosz said. “Local people drive in and do that U-turn and have a look. People are getting off the VIA trains and looking at it.
“We’ve generated interest across Canada to the point where a few weeks back, we got a call from an employees group in Ontario and they were wondering if we’d be interested in a donation. That a group from that far away is interested in us, is really quite gratifying.”
Houston has also noticed the changes in demeanor from local folks who thought the station was an eyesore and perhaps ready to meet its demise.
“You know what’s nice is, when we first started there, the CN guys would have a lot of negative comments,” Houston said. “In the last year, people have really changed their tune.”
Houston started his construction career as a “young kid” and worked for years in Montreal restoring historical buildings.
“I did a lot of stone work and copper work over the years. I’ve replicated the tin work and things like that,” Houston said of some of his trickier jobs over the years. “It’s a pleasure to work on something and bring it back to the way it used to be.”
Houston actually renovated the Montreal mansion that once belonged to Lord Grey, the man who the CFL’s main prize is named after.
While the station continues its journey back through time, there have been some challenges that even Houston couldn’t have predicted.
“It’s going good, but there’s a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes that nobody sees, like structural work,” Houston added. “We’ve had to get inside and literally remove some walls and ceilings and stuff where a lot of the original windows were.
“I feel like we’re starting to win the battle.”
Updating a building at the same time you’re attempting to bring it to its past glory can be an intimidating proposition, but Houston’s passion and knowledge, and his willingness and ability to build certain items from scratch have proven invaluable.
“We’ve had a few instances where things just didn’t exist anymore,” Houston chuckled. “The cantilevers on the front of the building, they were gone. I looked at pictures and once we removed the cement you could see where they went and I made them on site.
“We’ve also added polar wrap and the walls are already two-by-six construction, so by the time we’re finished we’re going to have about R-28 insulation in the exterior walls.”
MRSHA president, Merv Ozirny says the group has a shot at picking up some federal money for the project through a grant.
“We’ve made an application for some money through Parks Canada,” explained Ozirny. “We’ve been conditionally approved, but it’s not in the bag yet. We still have to provide some additional information.”
The grant would go toward the renovation of the exterior of the east wall and the north wall of the station.
In the next couple of months, people should notice even more differences in the appearance of the station and Houston will continue to do his level best to keep it looking as authentic as possible.
“By March, the north side of the building should be finished,” Houston added. “I try to treat the buildings I renovate with respect. When I first saw the station here, I knew it was a gem in hiding.
“I’m grateful to be a part of the whole project.”
Anyone interested in donating to the renovation can go to gofundme.com/melville-rail-station-project.
The annual fundraising gala is planned for April 29.
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