Council is starting to roll as it creates a template for heritage designations in Minto using the former CN grounds as a focus.
Council gave consideration to supporting a motion by councillor Wayne Martin to proceed with the heritage designation of Locomotive 81 and the Palmerston Pedestrian Bridge over the former CN property.
Martin said about a year or so back, he made a presentation for the designation of several items at the Lions Heritage Park. The idea was put on hold as the new heritage project developed.
He said from discussion since then, he believed the process should continue on some of the individual items “as we move forward and now that we have the heritage part of Minto on the table. Under the Heritage Act, they look at different items from buildings, structures, cemeteries, houses, archeological stuff, collections.”
As a template for Minto, the group decided to contact a representative of the University of Waterloo to help them with the process of designation, Martin said.
The two examples that are public ones and allow a little bit more control for the municipality are the steam engine, which Martin believed would be a local designation, and the pedestrian walking bridge across the former CN grounds.
He said the unique the bridge could have a good chance of being placed on a national historical registry.
“Besides protection and maintenance, it also gives you marketing elements for the Town of Minto,” Martin said.
The next step would be to meet with the representative from the University of Waterloo “to look at where we need to go.”
Martin said it is his understanding that person would help Minto staff in the process and promotion.
Mayor David Anderson said asked if a heritage designation would require restoration to a certain standard.
Martin was uncertain. However, he did say it would open the door to possible funding. He noted in the bridge’s case, the town received a significant amount of funding for the work done so far.
The only thing he was aware of was when an application was made to do the station – “but there were too many alterations. With the bridge and the train, they are pretty original,” Martin said.
He believes the first step will be to get more information. “I think we’ve got a good momentum with the heritage committee.”
He said it gets a little more tricky when starting to designate homes. Starting the template on two public projects makes it less intrusive, Martin said. He agreed there are differences, but the basic process is the same.
Martin said there are still opportunities in the educational portion of funding, especially for the locomotive.
He remained confident the bridge would likely qualify for the national registry.
Council voted to go ahead and to create the heritage designations.
