People in a northern Ontario community lobby to save a shuttered train station from demolition

A group of people in the community of Black River-Matheson, east of Timmins, is fighting to save the historic train station in their town, but the clock is ticking fast.

Ontario Northland owns the building and says due to safety and structural concerns, it has to come down.

Mayor Dave Dyment says company executives told him it will take $2 million to bring the century-old building up to code, so the railway firm plans to demolish it within three weeks.

A spokesperson for Ontario Northland says a modern transit shelter featuring seating, lighting and heating will replace it.

Nine other locations along the rail corridor from Toronto to Cochrane will get similar shelters.

Dyment says his father worked for Ontario Northland for 40 years, and he's travelled to various stations across the north.

While he says he never wants to see old buildings torn down, he's not sure what could be done in this case, adding he's also just glad there will be a stop and some kind of shelter in Black River-Matheson.

"The Northlander is going to be coming through four times a week," he said.

"I'm celebrating the fact that we actually have a train stop," he said.

He also said there's no need for cargo storage or an attendant to be at the station.

However, some citizens who had believed the station would be re-opened, are scrambling to try to save it from the wrecking ball.

They learned of the demolition in a notice from Ontario Northland to a neighbour of the station just prior to the holidays.

In response, Barb Cornthwaite helped found a group called 'Friends of the Matheson train station.'

She's distressed that a part of the town's history will disappear.

Cornthwaite says it's a testament to the town's resilience after the 1916 fire in the region that claimed more than 200 lives. Residents helped rebuild it after the fire.

"It really is a symbol, like the phoenix, that rises up from the ashes, like the rebuilding by all the pioneers in this area," she said. "It really bothers me that we would just look at it, and that the Ontario government would look at it, and just think, ahhh, get rid of it."

She said many agree the building is historic but it doesn't have an official heritage designation, something the group is now looking into.

Members are also petitioning the area's MPP and municipal politicians.

"We want to see the Northlander come, but we would like to look at some kind of partnership with the town"," she said, admitting she doesn't have a firm idea. "We're just exploring that. We have a steering committee that we're just getting up and going."

As for other historic stations, the one in Temagami is owned by the municipality and is leased to the chamber of commerce.

Temagami Mayor Dan O'Mara said Ontario Northland plans to build one of the modern shelters next to it, but his main concern is the absence of bathroom facilities.

He said if the train comes through during the night, there may be no way for people to access washrooms while they wait.

A station in Cobalt is privately owned.

Ontario Northland said the old station in Swastika, near Kirkland Lake, was torn down last month

A spokesperson says construction of the new shelters is expected to begin in the spring, although it's not clear yet when the passenger service will resume.

The Ontario Northlander was halted in 2012, but the Ford government promised in 2018 to bring it back.