Railway enthusiasts will "bend the rail" on a big milestone for the popular waterfront Heritage Railway this summer.
A thirtieth-anniversary celebration is planned for the Civic Holiday weekend that will focus on the efforts of hundreds of volunteers who changed the look and feel of the North Bay Waterfront for three decades. There is an open invitation for the volunteer carvers, artists, donors and sponsors who were instrumental in these initiatives, to come out and be a part of the August 3 celebration.
If inclement weather derails the event, celebrations will be held the next day.
The dream of two men, former mayor Stan Lawlor and local dentist Rod Johnston, to create a miniature railway and preserve the heritage of rail in North Bay, became a reality on July 29, 1994, with the official opening of the Heritage Railway Company.
Developing on the city's property along the rail lands, this waterfront feature began in the fall of 1993, establishing the makings of a mini-train amusement for a unique family experience, supported by retired members of the CP, CN, ONR railways and City of North Bay, as there were upwards of 31 'Charter' volunteers taking on various tasks.
One of the four remaining 'original' Heritage Railway Company volunteers, Colin Vezina writes that start-up funds, "necessary to purchase a steam-powered miniature locomotive, a gas-powered F-7 diesel-type locomotive with three passenger cars and miniature railroad track" were organized by Lawlor who raised approximately $125,000 in donations and in addition secured a $25,000 loan from the City Heritage Festival Reserve Funds.
Vezina made arrangements with the North Bay Jail Superintendent Angus Bentley for the service of five inmates who, volunteered on their own volition and were supervised by a jail corrections officer, helped lay the actual 1/4-mile line, some 5,480 feet of track, plus sidings for the station and Shop tracks the week of July 25 1994 according to Vezina.
In 1996, the volunteers erected a station, a donated CP Rail Caboose which still remains today, then the Rail Car Barn was built in 1998.
"By 1999, more like-minded visionaries like artist Edna Scott, carousel enthusiast Barry Jacobs, collaborated with Dr. Rod to bring a full-size refurbished 1908 Carousel to North Bay adding to our Waterfront Railway site. Under the leadership of the volunteer construction crew foreman Dan Pigeau, Edna's working with the North Bay Wood Carvers Club had the stable set-up in the North Bay Mall, the city staff secured $166,000 in funds from a provincial grant to construct the 60-foot building to house the carousel. Jacobs coordinated and led the sponsor and donor campaign raising the funds from the 'Adopt a Horse' programme in less than five months, which moved the project ahead to construct over 33 horses and three spares that officially opened July 1, 2002 at the site," says a release.
At the time of the 2005 Award-winning North Bay Heritage Carousel coffee table book was being completed by photographer Ed Eng, authored by Patti Fedeli, designed by Richard Ference and edited by Edna Scott. Edna had designed the second Winter Wonderland Menagerie Carousel, which was entirely dedicated to 14 animals of northern Ontario. The smaller 28-foot Carousel sought out additional sponsors and opened three years later on July 1, 2005, bringing much-added enjoyment in its own enclosed setting. There are pylons at each of the Carousels recognizing a listing of the volunteers, sponsors and artists involved in each project.
"On behalf of the Heritage Railway & Carousel Executive and our 30th Anniversary Committee, we are planning a Family Fun Day on Memorial Drive to celebrate our 30 years of operation on Saturday, August 3," says 30th Anniversary Chair Ralph Celentano, one of the 21 HRCC volunteer Shift Captains.
"There is an open invitation for the volunteer carvers, artists, donors and sponsors who were instrumental in the initiatives we currently enjoy at this family-friendly attraction to come out and be a part of the celebration. Weekly, we celebrate those visiting riders who sign our guestbBook from cities across the province and around the world. This upcoming August day is to celebrate the founding volunteers and our community partners who engaged in the vision of the mini-train and our two Carousels."
The full day of activities for children and their families begins at 10 a.m. and concluding at 6.
Activities include:
- 1994 ‘Retro’ Pricing of $1.00 per ride all day for all riders.
- Face Painting and Rorab Shriners Clown Unit.
- Introduction of the Two Millionth Rider
- visits by various community Mascots throughout the day.
At 1 p.m. an official ceremony begins at 230 Memorial Drive with local dignitaries to acknowledge the original Railway ‘Charter’ Volunteers, along with the hundreds of volunteers who maintain the operation of the community waterfront attraction.
Effective today the nostalgic Heritage Railway and Carousel Company waterfront attraction is operating seven days a week from 10 a.m. til dusk.
