Counter offer on Minnedosa station was rejected

Details

Published on Thursday, July 7, 2016

Photo by Eoin Devereux. Minnedosa Heritage Inc. and CP Rail are still in negotiations regarding compensation for Heritage Inc.’s investment in the Minnedosa CP station.

By Eoin Devereux

Neepawa Banner/Neepawa Press

Efforts to broker a deal on the historic Minnedosa train station have hit a minor stumbling block, as CP Rail has turned down a counter offer made by Minnedosa Heritage Inc. The heritage group, who has spent the past decade preserving the town’s train station, had asked for $110,000 in compensation. CP, which owns the building, had previously offered $75,000 to reimburse them for the work done to the structure. That original offer was turned down by the local group, during a meeting on Tuesday, June 14.

Heritage Inc. chair Brion Pollon said that while the inability to get this deal secured was disappointing, both sides are still willing to work out an agreement that works.

“The rejection of the counter offer wasn’t what we were hoping for, but CP has indicated that it’s still willing to sit down and figure out a number that’s agreeable to both sides,” said Pollon. “There are still some positives to be gained from this. I think that [by mid-July], we could come to an agreement and be able to move on from this.”

As for other building options, Pollon added that two potential ideas have been brought to their attention. One involves the former Bethany station building being donated to the heritage group. That structure is currently located two miles north of Minnedosa, after being relocated nearly 50 years ago. The second option would be another relocated station building, this one from La Riviere. Both structures would be donated, but do require significant work to bring them up to code. Pollon said both options are being considered, but no decision will be made until after the deal with CP Rail has been completed. 

These negotiations are just another chapter in a saga that’s been ongoing since 2005. During the CP Rail’s Holiday Train in Minnedosa that year, railway representatives made an announcement where they offered the historic station to the community for the cost of $1.

After a basic verbal understanding on the transfer was secured, committee members got to work making repairs to the exterior of the building.  After years of negotiations, however, with no formal signed agreement, CP declared in January of this year, that they would instead start using the building itself once again. Heritage Inc. was offered access to the train station’s attic, but the group determined that the space would not work. CP Rail replied to that with the $75,000 payout offer.

The building was built in 1910 and was last used as a train station in 1960. However, CP continued to use it as office space until 2000.