The Elgin County Railway Museum in St. Thomas has decided to close its doors for the time being due to issues related to the building, as announced on Wednesday.
In an open letter shared on social media, museum officials mentioned that closing wasn’t an easy choice, calling it a “difficult day for our organization” and an “even tougher day for our community.”
“The temporary closure is due to building-related issues located outside of public areas of the facility,” said the letter, co-signed by Scott Sleightholm and Wil Zufelt, president and CEO respectively of Railworks Coalition, which manages the museum.
“While we move forward with next steps, the building will remain closed to the public, members, and volunteers. Limited staff access will only be allowed for essential purposes as we address these matters responsibly.”
Updates are expected in spring as plans develop and more information becomes available, according to the letter.
In an interview, Zufelt explained that both the coalition and museum board have paused daily operations to explore long-term strategies for the building and museum while tackling structural concerns aimed at preserving it for future generations.
The museum usually closes after Christmas and reopens on Victoria Day; however, Zufelt stated there’s no confirmed reopening date regarding this current situation.
“Right now, it’s about examining the interior of the building. We’re looking at climate control, heating, structure, and so on. It’s really just assessing all aspects of the building envelope while considering what comes next,” said Zufelt.
The 55-year-old structure covering 55,000 sq. ft., built in 1913, originally housed locomotive repair shops belonging to Michigan Central Railroad-one of at least 26 railways that have passed through St. Thomas since 1856.
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The Elgin County Railway Museum reported over 27,000 visitors attended its third annual ‘Christmas Tree Spectacular’ during the holiday season. (Elgin County Railway Museum)
In their letter, Zufelt and Sleightholm reassured that these building-related problems are “outside of public areas” and did not pose a risk to public safety.
“That would be on the restricted side-behind where trains are kept-where general visitors don’t go.. that’s where we need to focus our attention,” Zufelt told .
It’s uncertain how long this closure might last; however, Zufelt emphasized it’s just a pause. He mentioned approximately 57,000 people visited last year’s museum events-including around 27,000 during its annual Christmas tree celebration in November and December.
<p"We're evaluating everything about this property-the way it's used. With a secondary plan set to come up soon for City of St Thomas; it’s a great moment for us to reflect on planning for future developments," he said.
The museum along with its surrounding area is included in Railway Lands Secondary Plan Study initiated by city officials last year. The aim is to redevelop what was once busy railway lands into housing since population projections estimate that St. Thomas will reach around 79,500 residents by 2051.
Operating from this location since 1988 allows them to preserve local railway history-including when St. Thomas made headlines back in 1885 when Jumbo the elephant was tragically hit by a train.
An architectural firm was hired last summer by the museum team starting phase one of improvement plans concerning their facility; more details are anticipated towards late January regarding costs and timelines associated with those improvements.
Though railways operating here have declined since their peak during early twentieth century; still today residents refer affectionately use “Railway City” title adopted officially within municipality since year twenty-seventeen.
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The City of St. Thomas recognized this heritage structure under Ontario Heritage Act back in 2015.This building is alive! It plays an active role within St Thomas,” Zufelt remarked proudly.” It stands at heart of our town right now-it serves as one bustling community hub compared with any other venue.”
Though railways operating here have declined since their peak during early twentieth century; still today residents refer affectionately use “Railway City” title adopted officially within municipality since year twenty-seventeen.
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