HANTSPORT, N.S. — It’s a historic building that was frozen in a moment in time: the last day of operations of the Windsor and Hantsport Railway.
Transportation historian Dan Conlin said that up until recently, the Hantsport train station has remained in a relatively good state of repair.
It was like a time capsule, as workers seemingly walked away and left everything sitting where it was at the end of the last day of operations. However, as of late, it has been targeted by vandals and thieves.
Conlin said it would be great if we could put the lid back on that time capsule. He is hopeful that some short-term measures can be taken to secure the building so that it can potentially be saved for the long-term. It would cost a few hundred dollars for plywood to board up the door, which appears to have been kicked in, and three broken windows.
The property, which was originally part of the Dominion Atlantic Railway, carries provincial and federal heritage designations. Conlin said he would have thought this would afford it a greater level of protection. Sadly, it appears that the bronze provincial heritage plaque has been stolen.
“It’s a tremendously significant heritage building,” Conlin said. “It’s a beautiful Tudor revival train station built in 1944 and it played a big role in the 20th century blossoming of Hantsport industrial heritage.”
For example, it was integral in the dispatch of millions of tonnes of gypsum to ships in Hantsport and in the shipment of products from the CKF pulp plant.
While in the Valley visiting family May 5, Conlin decided to pay a visit to the building. He had seen recent social media posts with photos illustrating damages. He said it was clear that people were going in and out with impunity and the visit confirmed his worst fears.
Conlin witnessed three young people leaving the train station. He doesn’t believe that they were vandalizing the building in that instance but it’s clear that people have been smashing and stealing things. He found the accelerating level of damage and deterioration “alarming” and it’s worrisome to neighbours who fear someone will set the building on fire.
“I think it’s important that if people value that building that they contact their federal, provincial and municipal politicians,” Conlin said.
He has notified the RCMP, the area councillor, the railway and provincial and federal heritage representatives about the situation.
Conlin pointed out that the station would be a tremendous asset to the Windsor and Hantsport Railway if gypsum shipments were ever to resume. Beyond that, it is a tremendous heritage asset to the community with great adaptive reuse and economic potential.
STATION MAY BE USED AGAIN: OWNER
Windsor and Hantsport Railway owner Bob Schmidt, an entrepreneur living in Virginia, doesn’t believe it’s the end of the line for the Hantsport train station or the railway.
He said they wouldn’t continue spending significant amounts of money to maintain railway property if they didn’t believe there would one day be a return on the investment. He continues to see value in the rail corridor.
“We do strongly believe that the need for and the demand for gypsum will be resurrected,” he said.
Schmidt said the station wouldn’t be essential to railway operations but its close proximity to the port is advantageous. They’ve been working on initiatives that could lead to the railway resuming operations but he said they remain open to other ideas for the Hantsport station.
“If somebody approached us with a fantastic idea who would like to lease it and they would care for our beautiful, cherished station, we would welcome that,” Schmidt said.
He said they were made aware of the recent vandalism and have boarded up the building as a temporary measure. He wants those entering the building to know that there is nothing of value left inside. Schmidt said the only one authorized to be at the site is the property manager. It’s private property and anyone else is trespassing.
Schmidt asks for anyone who sees suspicious activity around the Hantsport station or other Windsor and Hantsport Railway property to call the RCMP or Crime Stoppers. They can also call the railway’s emergency line at 902-798-0798 and leave a message. He said they would greatly appreciate it if there were volunteers in the community willing to keep an eye on the site.
‘HORRIBLE’ SITUATION: COUNCILLOR
Robbie Zwicker, West Hants councillor serving the Hantsport area, described the situation as “horrible.” He said the train station is a beautiful building falling into neglect.
After Conlin brought the concern to his attention, Zwicker notified the chief administrative officer. Zwicker said the Municipality of the District of West Hants planned to send a building official to visit the site to see what can be done to protect it.
Zwicker said it would be nice if the Windsor and Hantsport Railway would sell the building so it could be repurposed. He planned to raise the matter at an upcoming council session. He’d like to see the property secured and for the community to work with the railway owner toward a solution.
NO SUSPECTS: RCMP
Corp. Chris Campbell of the Windsor Rural RCMP detachment said that, recently, they have received two reports about mischief at the property: one in 2018 and one this past week.
He said kids have been seen around the station and it looks like someone has been in the building but there is currently no means to identify who may be responsible. No one has witnessed instances of vandalism or thefts and there are no suspects to investigate.
He pointed out that it’s the responsibility of the owner to ensure that the building is secured. The RCMP can’t act as a 24/7 security service for the building. Campbell asks for members of the public who witness suspicious activity at or around the station to call the Windsor Rural RCMP at 902-798-2207 or to place an anonymous call or tip with Crime Stoppers. Crime Stoppers can be reached toll-free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Secure web tips can be submitted at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca or through the P3 Tips App.
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