As fall approaches, a season of change will get underway at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. On Friday (Sept. 9), ground will be broken to mark the official start of construction for two new facilities - CN Turntable Plaza and The Roundhouse and Conference Centre at the Park. Everyone is invited to the ceremony, which will be held at 11 a.m.The construction project that follows will transform the entire front of the Heritage Park. All buildings and exhibits in front of the carshop will have to be moved, so the next few months will be a very active period. The British Columbia business car and Colonist car displays will move inside the carshop for the duration of the construction, and the cover over the British Columbia will be moved to the rear of the shop building. Wilkie station will move to the north end of the Heritage Park near Sweet Apple and will become the lineside shanty that it was when originaly built by CN in the 1920's. The Caretaker's house will move west to the town centre and locate alongside the Brightbill house for the construction period. Rail exhibits will be centred around the Mac Norris Station and in behind the carshop.
CN Turntable Plaza will be built front and centre at the Heritage Park. The installation of the vintage turntable, which was donated to us by CN a few years ago, will be between the Mac Norris station and the carshop building. When complete, the turntable will operate to turn a locomotive or railcar around, and also to provide access to the seven stalls in the new Roundhouse. The surrounding area will be finished as an outdoor plaza, to be known as CN Turntable Plaza, and will be used for outdoor events and concerts as a feature area of the Heritage Park. CN Turntable Plaza is expected to open by Summer 2006.
The Roundhouse and Conference Centre at the Heritage Park will undergo construction concurrently, but will take longer to complete. The building is currently in the final design stages with the architects, and construction will take all of 2006 with an opening planned in spring 2007. The Roundhouse and Conference Centre will be the new permanent home of some of our most precious pieces - such as the Royal Hudson and the British Columbia business car - and will also be useable for banquets and meetings by moving some of the exhibits outside during such events. The $4 million structure will become the Heritage Park's new major exhibit building.
During construction, the West Coast Railway Heritage Park will continue to be open daily, and the West Coast Mini Rail will continue in operation.
