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Train Station operation - On November 5, 2001,
the doors of the Markham Train Station reopened to the patrons of the GO
Transit system. The restored waiting room shelters the commuters in advance of
each of the three morning trains that head to Union Station in Toronto
every week day. GO Transit staff manage a ticket selling operation in the
original station master’s office. The security, communication and operations
requirements of this facility have been implemented with great care to respect
the historical elements of the room. Cabinets conceal the phones and
computers, the cables and electrical panels are contained in a utility room.
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| In
the Emery waiting room, all of the original wainscoting, floors and windows
have been restored and refurbished. The floor has been sanded and oiled, while
the wooden elements and the drywall have been painted in a palette of
buttery cream and gray greens. An elegant reproduction ceiling fixture gives
soft illumination to the room. A lockable cabinet built into the wall contains
a sink and electrical plugs to facilitate community meetings. The original
safe stands in a corner, soon to be joined by one of two original wood stoves
that were used to heat the building. One of the station’s original wooden
benches has been donated by a member of the community. |
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The Community Room, which includes the original baggage room and the addition
of 1909, is a large open room trimmed in wainscoting with a cathedral ceiling.
The baggage door openings have been transformed to windows, retaining the
refurbished baggage doors as interior shutters on the original hardware
sliders. The space includes a food preparation area which improves the room’s
marketability as a meeting space. This area is painted in a palette of
caramel, creamy white and gray greens. The floor is sheet linoleum. |
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Opposing the main entrance is a display area that houses the dedication
plaques that document the project and its supporters. Historical photographs
of the station and artifacts relating to the station will be housed here for
the benefit of the community. |
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Two public, fully accessible washrooms are located in the hallway between the
two rooms. This hallway is lit by one original window and two sympathetic
reproductions. |
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Storage and utility room, including water. |
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crawlspace beneath the building contains the two furnaces, each of which
services one end of the structure, allowing for separate controls by renters
with different needs. |
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Outside, the access to the building is gained through four doors, one on each
side. The east or main door is fully accessible. All doors are operated with
panic bars from inside and are all lockable from outside. |
| As
all but one of the original signs are missing from the site, reproductions
based on photographic evidence have been erected where appropriate.
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Economic benefit
to the community
The
train station is now an asset to the community instead of surplus liability to
CNR. The partnerships created by the project injected funds into the community
that would not otherwise have been available. The Conservancy found support and
created bonds with the federal Millennium Bureau, the Ontario Trillium
Foundation, GO Transit, the Town of
Markham,
Emery Investments, Shell Canada, and the Ontario Government through the Ontario
Heritage Foundation’s Challenge Fund.
Had
we not pursued this effort, the station would have been demolished. According to
GO Transit, the commuter facility would most likely have been shut down and the
land sold as new stations open elsewhere. As a result of the project, the people
of Markham
own a lovely and valuable building in the heart of the
Village of Markham.
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The Emery Waiting Room and the Community Room are two new community facilities
available for private and public functions in an easily accessed location with
high visibility and required amenities. |
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The Town of Markham now includes the Community Room in the planning of Culture
and Recreation programs as the Markham Village area was under serviced without
the station facility. |
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The improvement to the streetscape of Markham
village is dramatic. The station is located at the northern limit of the
Business Improvement Area, is within the Heritage Conservation District and is
an important element in the Main Street Vision project now underway. The
exterior is painted in the original colour scheme of 1910 – pale yellow over
green with sienna red trim – a delight to the eye from busy Main Street. |
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The increase in rider loyalty and the adoption of GO Transit by new riders
because of the provision of a safe, clean, commodious and esthetically
pleasing station is an expected social benefit of the project. Individuals and
families make decisions about where to live based on the availability of
important services like public transit. Strong communities are well planned
communities. |
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About people
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We learned that
presented with a challenge that people will rise to it and perform in
extraordinary ways. This project became much larger that anyone predicted,
and yet no members withdrew from the extra work that entailed. |
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We learned that our
group was unusual in its cohesive nature. We were successful because we
placed a high value on building partnerships. |
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About community
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We learned that
communities with engaged citizens are communities that work. Markham is
recognized by others as a successful example of a modern community. The
Prince of Wales award for heritage conservation was granted during the
course of this project and confirmed this. |
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We learned that the
community at large depended on us to get this job done. |
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Our issue
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The project was a
cross disciplinary event – drawing interest from those concerned about
cultural history, heritage conservation, Main Street revitalization, public
transit issues, protection of the natural environment, provision of
accessible community facilities. When we started, this was a Save the
Station single focus group. We evolved with the project. |
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Our methods
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We started out as an
advocacy group for a single cause. We soon implemented a consensus building
approach that worked effectively to build partnerships.
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We created a
collaborative group of partners – the Town of Markham, GO Transit, the Region of
York, the CMPP, the Ontario Trillium Foundation, The Ontario Heritage Challenge
Fund, Emery Investments and the Markham Village Conservancy. |
