The personal rail car of Sir William Van Horne, Le Rideau, rests outside and open to the elements at the Portage museum - Date/Photographer unknown.

19 November 2012

FLR Needs Votes to Restore National Treasure

Portage la Prairie Manitoba - The Fort la Reine Museum needs your vote in order to help restore a treasure of national significance.
 
The Museum is competing in the Aviva Community Fund competition where it hopes to restore Le Rideau, the personal business car of Sir William Van Horne, general manager of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
 
Aviva Canada is giving away $1 million to create positive change in communities across Canada, with Round Three ending on 26 Nov 2012.
 
The semi-finals will begin on 3 Dec 2012 with judging beginning on 20 Dec 2012.
 
The Van Horne Car was custom built in 1882 by CPR for Van Horne, its general manager.
 
The car served as an office, sleeping car, dining room, gentleman's club car, as well as a rear office where Van Horne was visited by Prime Minister Sir John A. Macdonald on numerous occasions.
 
The car was donated to the Fort la Reine Museum in 1976 after it had been used as a hunting lodge at Delta Marsh for a number of years.
 
It has received minimal restoration over the years since it fell out of service.
 
The Museum team would like to restore the Van Horne Car interior and exterior both by repairing flooring, carpeting, metal components, windows, upholstery, and paint where necessary.
 
To protect the investment in its restoration, the Van Horne car requires an enclosed structure of sufficient size to allow for visitor circulation and interpretive development.
 
Visit www.avivaCommunityFund.org to vote for the Fort La Reine Museum "Welcome Aboard the National Dream" pitch.
 
Robin Dudgeon.