Letter to the Mayor:
Refurbish and Retain Engine 17 with Private Donations
Justin Towndale
Mayor for the City of Cornwall
Re Engine 17 Project
Dear Justin,
This is our proposal to refurbish and retain Engine 17 with private donations.
We are writing to keep you informed of our plans.
During the Art Centre appeal and COVID fundraising was not deemed appropriate. Also, we also had to wait until the Ontario Land Tribunal issued its report.
Since the City is custodian of Engine 17 for the people of Cornwall, it is necessary for us to get City approval prior to acting. We will ask to make a presentation to Council in this regard.
Attached is an “Update on Engine 17″ and the “Engine 17 Project”.
If you have any questions, we would be happy to answer them.
Respectfully, for the Friends of Engine 17
Wes Libbey
Dick Aubry
Nick Cox
Chris Granger
Brent Whitford
Carole Libbey
The Moccasin Railroad Club of Cornwall
1500+ signatories petitioning to “Keep Locomotive #17 In Cornwall”
Update on Engine 17
In 2019 as part of the municipal budget, a motion was passed to donate Locomotive/Engine 17 to the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario in Smith Falls , the moving cost of $50,000 to be borne by the City. The Engine had been designated under the Ontario Heritage act and needed to be de-designated to permit it to be moved.
There were objections to the councils decision to de-designate Locomotive/Engine #17 in 2019 because it was coupled with a move to Smith Falls. The objections were heard by the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) in May 2023. The OLT’s decision was released on December 10, 2023 permitting de-designation of Locomotive #17.
Direction was also received “to carefully consider both the need for the physical preservation of the Locomotive together with the need to preserve the story of City of Cornwall’s industrial history for all local residents”.
Seeking advice on how interested parties could participate, advice was sought from administration . The OLT de-designation decision has “activated” the by-law to spend the $50,000 and to move Engine 17 to Smith Falls.
After diligent and dogged investigation, it has been learned that administration is actively working to discard this important heritage artifact. Sources connected to the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario state they are not interested in this offer; indeed, their assertion in 2019 that they had prepared a pad is incorrect. The name Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario describes more about its location in Eastern Ontario rather than what it collects since a railcar with no provenance to Smith Falls was recently discarded.
Recently a Councillor was heard to speak publically that Engine 17 will not be going to the Benson Centre, adding that even if it was, a fence is needed. Engine 17 has never been fenced; neither do Kingston and Toronto fence their engines. Since this public disclosure of the City’s intent, it requires that our group go public as well.
P.S. A note about fencing:
Recognise that fencing and lighting were added to the original estimate to balloon the costs of retention. Visitors to Toronto’s Railway Museum in Roundhouse Park under the CN Tower delight in climbing over the old engines. The steps have hand rails and have relative soft ground beneath. The City is oblivious to the fact that children standing on the arm of the large Emard Chair at the Benson Centre can fall to the concrete. Or the more horrendous danger of children falling off the overhead ladder at the exercise pad in Lamoureux Park, hitting their head on the lower cross member making a sound that no parent wants to hear and which has been witnessed by many.
INTRODUCTION
Engine 17 Project
• This is a project to save and preserve Engine 17 as the last visible and tangible artifact representative of Cornwall’s significant industrial history in Ontario.
• Direction was received from the Ontario Land Tribunal hearing “to carefully consider both the need for the physical preservation of the Locomotive together with the need to preserve the story of City of Cornwall’s industrial history for all local residents”.
• The plan is to refurbish Engine 17 and to move it to a new logical and safe home at the Benson Centre.
• Engine 17 can be used as a beacon and symbol of Cornwall’s unique and compelling industrial history.
• Create an industrial history presentation in the Benson Centre using kiosks and a display window.
• Cornwall Community Museum has offered to curate the exhibit at the Benson Centre on an ongoing basis as
another satellite of their existing operations • The cost is to be borne by public donations.
• The business plan is available.
HISTORY OF ENGINE 17
1930: Engine 17 was built by Baldwin-Westinghouse in Philadelphia
1962: Purchased by CSR as the third owner
1971: Last run of CSR. John Marshall was the engineer
1971: CNR donates Engine 17 to the City as “the last operating electric locomotive in Canada”. The locomotive was left on the track at Domtar
1981: Engine 17 is refurbished with city and service club funds and placed at Cornwall Water Filtration Plant
2004: A Municipal Heritage Committee Advisor, Ministry of Culture explains that “the Heritage Act only deals with real property – so only property can be designated and the building and structures on it would be identified as the ‘reason for designation’ statement”.
2005: Engine 17 is moved to Ninth and Brookdale on City property adjacent to the abandoned mainline of CSR and near the then Ontario Tourist Bureau.
2005: Municipal Works & Service Budget was to assume responsibility for the artifact with advice from HPC. A sign and picnic tables were added.
2006: With the recommendation of Heritage–Patrimoine Cornwall (HPC), the City designated Engine 17 with By-law #134-2006.
2014: HPC was asked to include a line in their draft budget of $1000 for upkeep
2015: Refurbishing was needed costing around $100,000 and the City asking for interested parties to conduct public fundraising.
2018: HPC was asked to put $100,000 for refurbishing in their draft budget
2019: A City Planner found that nobody in the City had responsibility for Engine 17 except that a City employee, concerned about vandalism, had removed the brass bell to his office . At the same time the SD&G Historical Society made a presentation to HPC and subsequently to a public meeting at the library with plans to move the Engine to the high tourist traffic area of the Benson Centre with an accompanying industrial museum with plans to present to City Council
2019: The Council passes a motion to de-designate Engine 17 and pay $50,000 to move it to the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario, Smiths Falls. Vote 8 to 7.
2019: The de-designation notice was placed in the paper and the objections were filed with the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) who hears such cases .The City put a moratorium on submissions since the OLT had the file.
2023: OLT held a hearing on May 24 with the City lawyer, expert witness and three objectors. The decision was posted on December 10. The conclusion was that the land (Ninth and Brookdale) had no historical value hence de-designation could take place and “… the Parties are urged to carefully consider both the need for the physical preservation of the Locomotive together with the need to preserve the story of City of Cornwall’s industrial history for all local residents.” (OLT-22-003794)
HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF ENGINE 17
Engine 17 is the last of a long list of electric trolley cars and freight engines that provided unparalleled service to the growth of Cornwall.
Being the terminus of a canal benefited Cornwall immensely. The canal was engineered for the generation of continuous water power as well as transportation. As a result major industries populated the canal bank. Such it was that Thomas Edison was invited to Cornwall to install the first industrial lighting in Canada.
An employee from Edison’s installation was instrumental starting what was to become Cornwall Electric Street Railway, a forerunner of Cornwall Electric. Cornwall Street Railway, as it was commonly known, provided a public transportation and freight service unequalled in any city of Cornwall’s size.” (100 Years of Service, Cornwall Electric).
The logistic importance was immense. The railway had interchanges with three railroads and an international shipping lane. Moving raw material to and finished product from, as well as workers and their families, it gave an immense boost to Cornwall’s economic development. The system was unique in that both the freight and passenger service shared the same track and overhead wires using green electric power, up until 1971.
In 1977 the City bought Cornwall Electric for $4.8 million. In 1987, the City bought St. Lawrence Power for $13.5 million. In 1997-98, the City sold to Consumers Gas for $68 million. (Consumers Gas later sold to Fortis Ontario)
The considerable gain on investment had a great impact on the city. The money was used to clear municipal debts and to create the Progress Fund initially to only fund quality of life projects in the City. Millions of dollars in interest has been realized and many capital projects supported.
Cornwall has lower electric power rates today than Ontario Hydro as a result of decisions taken by these companies.
The petition “Keep Locomotive #17 In Cornwall” now has 1506 signatures.
The heritage value of Locomotive No. 17 is supported by its provenance to Cornwall. It is a tangible representative symbol of Cornwall’s industrial history.
CSR passenger service commenced in 1885 and added freight service in1899. This a list of Cornwall’s large industrial base with freight service in the 19th century.
Royal Mail Canada 1899-1950 < This was the start of CSR Freight Service
Richelieu & Ontario Navigation Co.1899-1968 became Canadian Steamship Lines
Express Roller Mills 1899-1959
Cornwall Manufacturing Co.1899-1959 ] —became Canadian Coloured Cotton Mills Limited
Canada Cotton Manufacturing Co.1899-1959 ]—became Canadian Coloured Cotton Mills Limited
L. A. Ross Saw & Planing Mill 1899-1946
Toronto Paper Mill 1899-1971 became Domtar
Cornwall Brass & Iron Foundry 1899-1923
Cornwall Foundry & Machine Works 1899-1971 became B&W Bingley Steel Works
St. Lawrence Park 1899-1950
Victoria Arena 1899-1933
Frontenac Oil Refineries 1899-1955
W.C. McGuire 1900-1971 became McGuire Fuels Ltd.
There were approximately 50 companies that were serviced by CSR over the years to 1971.
