CORNWALL, Ontario – At the first official budget meeting of the season, Council had a contentious debate on the fate of Locomotive #17.
Located at the corner of Ninth St. and Brookdale Ave., Locomotive #17 is the last remaining rail car that operated in the days that the City of Cornwall had a tramway.
As of now, the train’s paint is peeling, and it’s structure is becoming increasingly brittle.
Since 2016, it has been considered for restoration, but that funding was ultimately removed in successive budgets.
Administration recommended to Council that this year between $147,000 and $152,000 be spent on restoring and potentially moving the train.
Councillor Elaine MacDonald objected to money being spent on the locomotive.
“I’d like to see this scrapped,” MacDonald said. “If we were going to restore an artifact, I’d like to see something more kid friendly. I don’t see this as a tourist attraction.”
Councillor Claude McIntosh said that this was a piece of Cornwall’s history that had been a victim of procrastination.
“I would like to see it restored. Over the years, this has been victim of procrastination by Council,” he said.
Councillor Syd Gardiner was skeptical at the price tag, believing that the cost of restoration would exceed administrations estimations.
CAO Maureen Adams pointed out to Council that the money set aside for the restoration of the train would be taken from reserves, meaning that withholding funding would have no impact on the annual budget for 2019.
Part of the $152,000 price tag included the cost of moving the train closer to the waterfront, the discussed spot was near the entrance to the Cornwall Civic Complex.
“How do we honour our history and our past in our city,” asked Councillor Justin Towndale. “This is something we should maintain. I am in favour of moving it to the suggested location. I think that parcel of land can be declared surplus and we could recoup some of the cost that way.”
Councillor MacDonald stated that she would rather see one of the old Domtar smoke stacks refurbished or one of the old Seaway International bridge piers purchased. The Domtar smoke stack is on private property, and the bridge piers have already been slated for demolition by the federal government, save for the one on the Cornwall waterfront.
MacDonald made a motion to try and sell the train, failing that, donate it to a group and failing that, scrap it.
Councillor Gardiner stated that he hoped that this motion would encourage private groups to step forward and raise money for the care of Locomotive #17.
“It will open the eyes of people who want it there to get it done,” he said.
Mayor Bernadette Clement said she would vote against the motion.
“I will not support the motion. I hope that this discussion will bring forward some people who want to support this,” she said.
MacDonald’s motion failed to pass with four councillors voting in favour and seven voting against.
