Nestled on the south-eastern edge of Barrie overlooking Kempenfelt Bay, the Allandale Train Station was the hub of activity in the early 1900’s for the Grand Trunk Railway. The station was designated under the Federal Heritage Railway Stations Act, which is administered by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
Progress Updates
AECOM Archaeological Investigation
AECOMs archaeological involvement at the Allandale Station site began in 2016 as a continuation of the previous archaeological work conducted by AMICK Consultants Ltd in 2011 and 2012 and to satisfy the requirements of the burial site Investigation Order (R.S.O 2002, c. 33, s.96) issued by the Registrar of Cemeteries for the Province of Ontario, Michael D’Mello (now the Registrar of Burials - Nancy Watkins). During AECOMs Stage 2/3 investigation in July 2017, additional human remains were recovered and reported to the Registrar of Burials as part of the open Investigation Order on file with the Registrar of Burials (Ministry of Government and Consumer Services). In order to complete the burial site investigation and satisfy the requirements of the Funeral, Burials and Cremation Services Act, further archaeological work must be conducted in order to identify and remove all interred individuals and to determine the extent, nature, and origin of the burial site, and the population affiliation of the individuals recovered from the site. Once this work is completed and is found to satisfy O. Reg. 30/11, s. 174, Division C, it is expected that the Registrar of Burials will issue a site Declaration, a Site Disposition Agreement will be negotiated, and the burial site Investigation Order can be closed.
History/Background
Nestled on the south-eastern edge of the City of Barrie overlooking Kempenfelt Bay, the Allandale Train Station was the hub of activity in the early 1900’s for the Grand Trunk Railway (GTR). The station buildings consisted of a passenger depot and restaurant as well as a two storey office building. Three years after the bankruptcy of the GTR in 1919, the Allandale Train Station came under the jurisdiction of the Canadian National Railway (CNR). Following years of declining passenger and freight traffic, Allandale was downgraded from a divisional point to a station in 1959. Due to the diminishing rail service, the passenger depot and restaurant were closed during the 1980’s. VIA Rail and GO Transit last used the office building as a passenger waiting room and for ticket sales briefly in the early 1990’s.
Heritage
The Allandale Train Station was designated under the Federal Heritage Railway Stations Act, which is administered by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Restoration of the Allandale Train Station is under the guidance of the Ontario Heritage Trust. The heritage value of the Allandale Train Station resides in its picturesque massing, the composition of its elevations, its residential scale, Italianate Villa detailing and its visual as well as symbolic identity with the community. The characteristic picturesque elements of the turn-of-the-century railway stations include the wide overhanging eaves, covered outdoor waiting areas, dominating rooflines and a non-frontal asymmetrical composition. The massing of this mid-size station consists of three functionally separate elements; the office building, restaurant building and passenger depot; and the overall composition of a residential scale. Visual unity of the parts is achieved by the strong horizontal lines created by the dominant rooflines, the brick plinth, repetitive columns, horizontal windows and transom bars and the narrow horizontal wood siding and wood details such as the stringcourse. The Ontario Heritage Trust recommended that the target date of restoration be 1904 – 1905 for the passenger depot and the restaurant building; and 1895 for the office building.
Scope of work completed
Base Building Restoration (Phases 1 and 2A)
Phase 1 and 2A provided the necessary scope and resources to save the buildings to ensure that present and future members of the public can enjoy these buildings for generations to come. The buildings were deteriorating as major problems continued to worsen including roof, structural and wooden heritage features, etc. Further delaying the work would have escalated restoration costs and some heritage features would have been permanently lost. Phases 1 and 2A are described in detail below.