1 June 2007
Historic N.S. Roundhouse Faces Wrecking Ball
Kentville Nova Scotia - It may soon be the last whistle
for the historic railway roundhouse in Kentville.
Town council will issue a call for tenders in mid-June to tear down the roundhouse, and there are plans by Shannex Inc. to
build a seniors home on the site.
The roundhouse, more than 100 years old, was used to store and repair locomotives. Several groups are opposed to tearing down the
landmark, including the Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society.
But Mayor David Corkum told CBC News it would be too costly to repair the crumbling building.
"Town council, I believe, is asked to look at the big picture and what is in the best interests of the taxpayers of the town of
Kentville," Corkum said.
"We're talking about a building that will cost $1.5 million just to bring up to warehouse standards. How much more money would be
required to continue the ongoing upkeep and maintenance of that property?" Corkum estimates that demolishing the building will
cost $300,000.
Heritage society president Jay Underwood said the roundhouse is unique.
"It's the last surviving roundhouse in Nova Scotia. Most locomotive sheds these days for the servicing of diesel locomotives are
a pretty unimpressive warehouse-type building," he said. "They don't have the same architectural appeal at
all."
Underwood and other groups opposed to tearing down a piece of Nova Scotia history will try to drum up funding and sponsorship to
restore the roundhouse.
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