CN Station
March 19, 2008
A 148 YEAR OLD KINGSTON LANDMARK -- THAT ONCE PLAYED HOST TO KINGS AND QUEENS -- COULD SOON BE SOLD, AND POSSIBLY DEMOLISHED. C-N RAIL PLANS TO SELL THE ABANDONED TRAIN STATION ON MONTREAL STREET TO A PRIVATE DEVELOPER. IT CARRIES A HERITAGE DESIGNATION, BUT A FIRE AND YEARS OF NEGLECT HAVE LEFT IT IN VERY ROUGH CONDITION. WHAT THE DEVELOPER WANTS TO DO WITH THE BUILDING, AND THE 4 HECTARES OF LAND AROUND IT, IS UNKNOWN. BUT KINGSTON RAILROAD ENTHUSIASTS SAY LOSING THE BUILDING WOULD BE A BLOW TO OUR LOCAL HISTORY. GEORGE DILLON "I BELIVE THE BUILDING SHOULD BE SAVED. SIMPLY FOR ITS ARCHITECTURAL VALUE AND AS I MENTIONED, BECAUSE IT PROBABLY BROUGHT MORE PEOPLE TO KINGSTON THAN THE RIDEAU CANAL AND ITS BEEN DESIGNATED A WORLD HERITAGE SITE EVER DID. ANYONE WHO ARRIVED IN KINGSTON AFTER 1856, PROBABLY CAME THROUGH THIS TRAIN STATION.
QUEEN ELIZABETH USED THE TRAIN STATION, DURING HER VISIT HERE IN THE EARLY 1970'S. LOCAL SUPPORTERS WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BUILDING END UP IN PUBLIC HANDS -- BUT ARE WILLING TO WORK WITH A PRIVATE DEVELOPER TO PRESERVE IT.
