THUNDER BAY – Members from an area historical society, fearing the potential public backlash, say they won’t be going ahead with a plan to preserve the city’s heritage.
A proposal to move an historic CN Caboose on the waterfront to the Silver Mountain Station won’t go ahead after the Silver Mountain Historical Society members withdrew their request last month.
The group members, at the time the proposal was made, said they was excited to bring the train to Silver Mountain and convert it into a museum. But President David Battisel writes that since coming to council with the idea in May, administration and council have been heavily criticized for failing to maintain the caboose or come up with a plan to restore it.
“Our executive is very concerned that this negativity will be directed to our organization should the caboose be donated to us. Despite our best intentions and our repeated statements to the contrary, there are those who would view any relocation of the caboose as tantamount to theft of the city’s cultural heritage,” Battisel states in his letter to council.
Instead, a group of volunteers have come forward to help the city renovate and maintain the train where it is.
