THUNDER BAY – Coun. Andrew Foulds is hoping to get the Muskeg Express back on track this summer.
Foulds, the Current River ward councillor, is bringing a motion forward at Monday night’s council meeting that would authorize the use of $50,000 from the stabilization reserve fund for repairs that would allow the Centennial Park ride to meet required safety standards to continue to operate.
The ride did not operate last year and parks manager Cory Halvorsen has advised council it will not run again this year without additional money for upgrades and maintenance to improve the tracks.
“It’s in one of our premier parks. This is one more activity for families to do in one of our premier parks,” Foulds said.
“It’s not particularly expensive to participate in. It’s accessible to most. It’s fun and I think frankly people get a great deal of enjoyment out of a fairly relaxing, enjoyable ride. It’s something I think we should be celebrating, not something we should be getting rid of.”
The Muskeg Express typically during afternoons five days a week from June to Labour Day weekend in September. The cost is $2.75 for people 15 or older, $1 for youth between six and 14 and free for children under the age of five.
City administration had proposed converting the Muskeg Express to a static display and ceasing operation during the 2017 budget process, which Foulds was able to reverse.
Foulds noted the other activities available in Centennial Park but described the train as historic and iconic and said it has value to people, based on feedback he has received.
“Maybe it doesn’t make an immediate impact but over time the accumulative effect of cuts to parks dramatically affect people’s experiences,” Foulds said.
“Parks aren’t necessarily just passive spaces. Passive recreation is one part of them but having things to do that families can enjoy are worthy of our investment. I just think this is one small investment that’s value added.”
Foulds, who has previously expressed concern that parks facilities are dying by a death of a thousand cuts, argued they aren’t given the same treatment as other city assets like roads, buildings or fleet to expect them to maintain long-term effectiveness.
“These are the things that improve the quality of life of our citizens. These are the things that people go out and do. These are the things families do together. These are the things that bring our neighbourhoods together,” Foulds said.
“They are worth the investment. If we had been doing this investment over the long-term it would have been a little bit every year but because we haven’t been doing that little bit every year we come across these larger infrastructure costs.”
