The owners of Orillia’s former train station are hoping to keep the area’s locomotive history alive.
Eric Pong, a partner with a numbered company that purchased the building and property at 150 Front St. S. in 2019, said the building itself will become a sort of “exhibition centre” that will showcase artifacts and information about the property and the history of trains in Orillia.
“We’d love to bring the memories back to the people of Orillia,” he said. “People could come in, see what it was before with the pictures and artifacts.”
Prior to selling the property, the city secured an Ontario Heritage Act designation. That was part of the appeal for the purchasers, said Pong.
“The building is historic, so it sells itself. That’s what I like about it,” he said.
Interior work has begun. That includes turning it into a “big, open space,” doing away with the walls and offices that were there when the building was home to Service Ontario and the Orillia District Chamber of Commerce.
Pong sees the property as an ideal spot for community events. He hopes the building will be open this summer and that some type of public celebration can take place.
Before getting to that point, though, he is calling on community members to help. He encourages anyone who has knowledge of the site’s history or is in possession of historical articles, photos or artifacts to email him at [email protected]. Artists wanting to display their work in the building are also invited to inquire.
The building is the first priority. Plans for the rest of the site are still in the works and, due to various easements on the property, it could be years before further development takes place, Pong said.
