Girl Guides fight to save Mimico station

Tamara Shephard, Feb. 23, 2003

Mimico Girl Guides are taking their plea to preserve the former 1915-era Mimico Railway Station to the streets. Last month, the girls penned petitions and posters, circulating them around their neighbourhoods, encouraging residents, friends and family to write letters in support of designating the frame and stucco buildings under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Last November, CN Rail sold the 1.5-acre property at the corner of Judson Street and Royal York Road to a Mississauga building supplies company. The sale drew the attention of Toronto Preservation Services, who reported the building was 'listed'—but not designated—in its inventory of heritage properties.

"Instead of tearing it down, they could open it up as a museum," Guide Aisling McManus, 11 suggested at a guide meeting Monday night. "It has been in the community for so long. I spoke to an elderly couple about it walking with their dog on the street. He said, 'Oh my gosh, I used to work there.' We put posters up in the area to let people know about it."

Fellow Guide Julie Belair, 10, said her family's ties to the original Grand Trunk Railway station are longstanding. "My mom said my grandfather was always talking about the station to her. He used to take the train all the time and thought it was the best thing. I'm glad it's still here. It represents my family's heritage."

Interested residents may sign the Guides' petition or drop off letters of opinion or support about the station to Mimico Girl Guides at their booth March 1 during Mimico's March Madness at John English Junior Middle School.

Advocating preservation of the historic railway station—now concealed behind a high metal fence fronting the property—fits the Guides' 'community challenge' explained Sandy Eathorne, leader of the 168th Mimico Girl Guides.

"To meet the challenge, guides can learn about a community issue or take a history walk. It's a building block of the (Girl Guides) program. When the girls heard about it (the station), they asked, 'What can we do?' They're like 'The Little Engine That Could.' I'm quite thrilled with the way they've taken it on," she said, noting the Guides have already received 'stacks' of letters of support through word-of-mouth.

Those letters will be presented to the Etobicoke Community Preservation Panel (CPP)—a group of five residents—two more are needed—interested in heritage who gather community opinion, monitor properties with an eye to listing sites.

Etobicoke CPP encourages residents to write letters and email comments about preservation of the Mimico Railway Station to etobicokecpp@hotmail.com.

"What's most important is that Etobicoke residents do get involved. Write letters of opinion and support for preserving the former Mimico Railway Station. Ultimately, city councillors will listen to the voting public once they've seen an interest taken (in the station)," panel member Vito Vaccarelli said.

Currently, financial support is being sought to undertake a feasibility study to determine whether the station could be restored, and possibly relocated off-site. Who will pay for the study has yet to be determined, ward Councillor Irene Jones said this week.

Study findings will determine whether Toronto councillors vote to designate the property under the Ontario Heritage Act.

Presently, officials of the Mississauga company that owns the property said they have no intention to take action on the site for six months, Jones said.

"He agreed to do nothing for the next six months. We had a professional architect on a site visit and he said, yes the station could be restored. But if it's restored, we have to use it and we can't move it and not restore it."

The train station is in a state of disrepair and decay from decades of exposure to both the elements and vandals.

Windows are missing and there are likely holes in the roof, Jones said.

The station could be restored and moved for a future use or dismantled and stored for future restoration.

Vaccarelli believes the century-old station is worth preserving.

"It was an important focal point in the community right up to the 1960s. It maintains history and continuity for the Mimico community and for all of Etobicoke. A lot of people went through that building. The most common theme we've heard is from people who had certain memories about the building and being dropped off or picked up there.

"It's different than a 19th century farmhouse where only a handful of people experience it due to private ownership. Hundreds of thousands went through this station."

Copyright 1996-2004 Metroland Printing and Distributing. All rights reserved.

Funds needed to move Mimico Railway Station

Tamara Shephard, Apr. 28, 2004

After more than a year, a preempted Conservation Review Board hearing, and a withdrawn objection by the property owner, the former Mimico Railway Station is on the road to a new life. But whether interested parties find the estimated $90,000 necessary by September to restore—and a place to relocate—the circa-1915 station remains to be seen.

A deal recently struck between property owner Remicorp and the city clears the path to both designate and move the station to a new location, provided a new owner is found.

"I think Remicorp (owner of the property) has been more than fair in trying to save this thing," Ward 6 (Etobicoke-Lakeshore) Councillor Mark Grimes said in an interview last week.

"We want to be fair to him, too. The station can't stay there forever."

Renato Silva, owner of Remicorp, had objected to designation of the station, but withdrew his objection as part of the deal, which assists the building supply company owner to clear and redevelop his Judson Street property on which the station currently stands.

Community members and city staff actively participating in efforts to save the station expressed optimism this week that the funds will be found, and the deadline met.

Optimism is due, in part, to comment by city parks and recreation staff last week that they would be willing to consider locating the former Mimico Station in a yet to be determined city park. But with the proviso, a private owner/operator is found to maintain the building, confirmed Brian Gallaugher, the City of Toronto heritage preservation services co-ordinator on the Mimico Station file.

The matter will be discussed at Toronto West Community Council at its meeting May 4.

"We need to secure three things to save Mimico Station," Gallaugher said in an interview recently.

"Get a new location, hopefully a park; find an organization that wants to use it; and raise the money to move it by Sept. 1. If we find the right owners to take it over, with some tender loving care I believe it could be back to its original condition."

Gallaugher authored the City of Toronto staff report that recommends Toronto Council issue Remicorp a demolition permit for the station—which is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act—subject to certain benefits provided the building supply company in a signed agreement with the city:

• Remicorp withdraws its objection to designation (which occurred in February);
• Remicorp agree to provide, at no cost, material and services such as scaffolding, forklifts and waste removal for the removal of the building to a new location should a new site be found;
• Remicorp agree not to demolish the building until "absolutely necessary for any approved building plan" on the Judson Street property.

Success of growing efforts within the Mimico and surrounding community to save the historic railway station turned on one detail—the findings of a structural assessment of the building. Professional architect Ian McGillivray's assessment indicated it is technically feasible to move and to restore the old frame and stucco station.

"When the structural assessment said, 'Yes, it can be done,' we flat out started looking for a match of a location and a use," explained Janice Etter, a member of the Etobicoke Community Preservation Panel, who has led efforts to save the station.

Yet, no one could have predicted how long and arduous the search would be, and that it would yield no easy answers.

"We were looking under every stone for a possible solution," she said, adding at one point a search was on for a buyer for the current property after Remicorp indicated a willingness to sell. "Here we are with just over four months to go. Despite all that time and effort, the way still isn't clear. Right at this moment, we don't have a plan set out." Etter estimates she and others have invested about 2,000 volunteer hours to save the station.

Michael Guy, an area resident with an interest in railway history, also expressed optimism about the deal.

"The affect of the timeline being compressed gives some urgency to the process," he said. "Everyone realizes we have to get off our butts or it won't be there.

"I think there's just time to do this. It seems to have every likelihood of success."

Mimico Railway Station is unique and deserves to be preserved, Guy said.

"It's kind of unique at this stage. It wasn't when it was built, and it's of no great architectural significance. But there's only Mimico Station and Don Station left in the city, and the Don is secure.

"If we let Mimico go, we're down to the thin edge of tangible history of the period." The modestly built station is a frame structure built on bridge timbers and covered in stucco.

Two weeks ago, Toronto West councillors approved a staff report recommending authority be granted to designate 15 Judson St. as a property of "architectural and historical value or interest" under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act.

Copyright 1996-2004 Metroland Printing and Distributing. All rights reserved.