A pair of pieces from the city's past are looking for a home and don't appear to be getting much help from the city.
The two brill buses, one painted in Fort William colours the other Port Arthur, were restored starting in 2001 through a project started by then Amalgamated Transit Union president Charlie Brown.
They've been stored at Thunder Bay Transit for the past decade but with the space needed for Lift + and other equipment, the Buddies of the Brill want to house the buses in a building on city land.
The organization, again headed up by the now retired Brown, has asked the city for some vacant land, at the discounted not-for-profit rate of 25 per cent off market value, before it can start fundraising for the building, getting volunteers and eventually create an entire transportation museum dedicated to the boats, planes and buses built by people in the city over the years.
"People should be allowed to get on these displays and feel them,” he said.
Despite the city spending an estimated $50,000 on the buses over the years, administration told Brown that there was no suitable land and suggested he look for private backing. Brown was before council Monday night asking that at the very least it start a transportation heritage committee to figure out what to do with the buses.He said he knew the project was going to be a challenge but he's not asking for money, only support.
"It’s clear administration is not interested,” he said.
"I just didn’t expect that my biggest challenge would be administration itself.”
Facilities manager Michael Smith said administration would never recommend council getting into the project as the building alone would be at least $1 million. As for the buses, they'll be covered outside.
"It's not just sticking them outside and leaving them exposed,” he said.
Brown said past councils backed the plan and he came to the city as a partner as both Thunder Bay and the union own the buses together. Now he's hearing that the city is trying to find other cities and museums to take the buses.
" Unfortunately the people I'm working with are doing something entirely different,” he said.
City manager Tim Commisso said a committee would need feasibility studies and business plans to prove that the idea could work.
"There's significant costs," he said.
While councillors made a few suggestions such as striking up a private committee or exploring the idea with Oliver-Paipoonge's empty Agriplex, no motions were made.
The buses will be out of the transit building in June.
