27 December 2008
Train Station Renovation On Track - Commission
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Greg Davidson is the executive director of the McAdam
Historical Restoration Commission.
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McAdam New Brunswick - Ask Greg Davidson how things are
going with the McAdam Railway Station, and he'll say with a smile, "You would have to say it is on track."
Davidson is the executive director of the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission. He said he's always pleased to report the
community is behind the project.
But that wasn't always the case.
Some in the community once thought the century-old, castle-like train station would never get the
refurbishment required to bring it into the 21st century. It was designated as a National Historic Site in 1976, a Heritage Railway
Station in 1990 and a Provincial Historic Site in 2004.
Nevertheless, the commission pushed forward with fundraisers and, by dividing the project into phases, it tackled the project one step
at a time as funding became available.
Tammy Little, president of the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission, said the main fundraisers at the moment continue to be
catering to functions at the station dining room.
"With the restoration of the dining room and the new chairs copied from the original chairs, it gave us the opportunity to use
the facility for many functions such as Christmas parties, weddings, reunions, and rentals," said Little.
"All of this is in the middle of tearing out the old kitchen in the lunch-counter room and creating a new kitchen
area that will make it so much easier to cater to events here.
"Through the generosity of the McAdam Lions Club, the kitchen there is being used for food preparation, which in turn is
transported to the station. We are fortunate to have such a good working relationship with the Lions Club here.
"It will certainly be easier when the kitchen is done here, but it hasn't slowed us down too much. We really felt the kitchen was
a priority."
She said guests at the station dinners enjoy attending a function in a National Historic Site.
At the moment, the Grand Dining Room is awash in mini-lights that provide a Christmas atmosphere for the parties.
A large Christmas tree in the centre of the room is a focal point for the get-togethers.
One of the next steps is restoring the curved lunch counter adjacent to the kitchen.
McAdam station lunch counter.
The lunch counter, located in the west end of the station, which was constructed in 1911, was used to serve light meals and snacks to
hundreds of passengers who had brief layovers when the trains stopped at the McAdam Train Station on their way to and from Boston and
Montreal.
During the station's heyday, staff had to be prepared to serve breakfast to upwards of 1,200 passengers.
During the days of the troop trains, First and Second World War soldiers left the trains to purchase a snack.
Davidson said one of his cherished wishes is to pull the switch to relight the Lunch sign on the corner of the building, which would
mean the lunch counter was again ready for business.
The switch was last pulled 15 Apr 1976, when proprietress Theda Boone closed the eatery.
The 40 stools around the lunch counter are the focus of a restoration campaign and an additional 13 are to be purchased as replicas.
One has already been re-chromed as a model.
The campaign will be similar to the one for the dining room chairs, and a plaque with each donor's name will be affixed to the lunch
counter banding in front of each stool.
Businesses, groups, or individuals who would like to sponsor this effort can contact the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission.
Sponsorship of a stool is $250.
One of the mid-January events at the station will be the presentation of the play Ghosts of the Station Inn by the
theatre arts class at McAdam High School.
In early August, McAdam will host Premier Shawn Graham as the community celebrates New Brunswick Day. The station will be the focal
point of the celebration, as the theme of history and heritage take centre stage.
The executive team of the McAdam Historical Restoration Commission also includes
vice-president Jack Moffitt, secretary Agnes Campbell, and treasurer Frank Carroll.
"The commission really appreciates the effort this community is putting into this whole project," said
Davidson.
Ex-Canadian Pacific Railway station at McAdam New
Brunswick - Date/photographer unknown.
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