The Huntsville Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce will not be entering into a lease agreement with the Town of Huntsville to rent a portion of the Town-owned CN Station located at 2-26 Station Road in Huntsville, as approved at Council in May.
The Chamber has cited air quality as the reason for not entering into this agreement.
An independent assessment is being undertaken by a qualified building sciences firm. The premise will be closed until further results are known and a remediation plan is put into place.
“The vision for the Culture Station at the CNR Train Station was something we were all very excited about and proud of,” said Kelly Haywood, Executive Director of The Huntsville/Lake of Bays Chamber of Commerce. “The potential of this space for our cultural sector and tourism services is ideal for economic growth in our community. Although we are disappointed that this won’t be coming to fruition at this time, we are confident that, with the support of The Town of Huntsville and appropriate remediation, our groups will revisit the initiative and develop a positive space for our community.”
“We are examining this issue very carefully,” said Mayor Scott Aitchison. “Our first priority is to ensure that everyone remains safe, so we are taking every possible precaution to do so – that’s why we’re closing the building for the time being. Beyond that we will address it as quickly and responsibly as possible.”
Built in 1924, the CN Station was purchased by the Town in 2003. An Ontario Heritage Trust Conservation Easement Agreement is in place on the property.
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