Melville CN Station
Restoration Project
It’s a piece of Melville’s historic tapestry that must be preserved.
Contact Lin Orosz at 1.306.728.5448
Email: Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc.
The destruction of the King George Hotel
to fire on February 17, 2010
reminds us how important history is to Melville.
The old CN Station is part of that history.
Faced with the demolition of the old station,
the Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc.
recently took title to the building.
We are determined not to let this
critical piece of Melville’s history disappear.
The CN Station, built in 1908, in Melville, Saskatchewan
is the only one of its kind in Canada.
Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc.
But We Need Your Help!
A work bee to clean the interior of the
CN Station is set for Saturday, June 12 at 9:00 a.m.
We need 40-50 volunteers to make this happen.
Donate a few hours of your time,
plus trucks, trailers and cleaning equipment.
Remember, all volunteer labor is eligible
for a matching grant, so your help is critical.
We’re hoping to repair and reshingle the roof this year. It's a huge undertaking that we estimate will cost $100,000. We've raised $25,000 for this job and hope to land additional government grant funding.
We want to raise the remainder through other grants, private donations and corporate sponsors.
As funds permit we will refurbish
the exterior of the station and
return it to its former glory.
We welcome all donations
for the restoration of this historic
majestic landmark.
for the Royal Visit in 1939.
that was named after GTP Railroad Executive
Charles Melville Hays from 1899 to 1910,
and perished in the sinking of the famous "Titanic" April 15, 1912.
yet still portrays the same magnificant beauty it always has.
Carlos Haywood, Chad Schultz, Merv Ozirny, Kathy Love, Ron Love, Marg Redenbach, Laura Bowlby, Bryan Kirk, Kyle Broda, Mark Orosz, Lin Orosz, Jim Schmidt, Lorraine Schmidt, Walter Streelasky, Dion Campbell, Ed Miller, Geri Miller, Darryl Aldous, Tim Ziola, Butch Herbert, Jason Schoffer, Terry Rathgeber, Ed Sagan, Jim Anderson, Randy Albers, Courtney Vaudner, Jim Haas, Rose Haas, Chris Haas, Mary-Ellen Scott, Bunny Halyk, Curtis Brooks, Wanda Farkas, Ed Peryema, Quinton Tank, Dennis Cherneski, Wendy Cherneski, Wally Oucharek, Trevor Sanftleben, Vince Pasternak, Brian Pasternak, Lloyd Redenbach, Geri Kopeck and Preston Kraushaar.
Thanks to the City of Melville and the following businesses who donated goods and services: Acklands-Grainger Inc,
N&R Concrete, Jim’s Roofing, Sagan Farms,
Chris Haas & Company, Horizon Credit Union, CN Rail, Pharmasave and Hauser’s Machinery Ltd.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Anonymous Santa visits early
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© Wednesday, December 21, 2011 Issue
Christmas has come early for Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA), the group aiming to restore the old CN Station.
An anonymous Santa - by way of a MRSHA board member — donated $10,000 to the restoration project at MRSHA’s recent monthly meeting with even the remainder of the board not learning the benefactor’s identity.
MRSHA has been involved in the Station project for a number of years and acquired the title to the property from CN officially early last year. Since then, MRSHA has held work bees to clean the interior and exterior of the building, removed the west-side addition and, just last month, completed reshingling the roof with cedar shingles at a cost of about $90,000.
Merv Ozirny, MRSHA president, says the donation couldn’t have come at a better time, both in terms of the cost of the reshingling and the increased public interest the reshingling has generated.
“It’s a very pleasant surprise. We find since the new roof has been put on the building there’s been more and more public interest in our venture and there are more and more people opening up their wallets and prepared to assist financially to improve the building.”
MRSHA has divided the entire restoration project into phases with the reshingling designated as the second phase. The third phase will be launched in spring, Ozirny says, when the canopy on the south and east sides will be repaired. As well, Phase 3 calls for refurbishing the exterior including the repair of windows and stucco, and painting the exterior walls.
The restoration project has been gaining momentum since the first work bee in June 2010 attracted more than 40 volunteers, Ozirny points out, adding the last MRSHA board meeting resulted in four more people joining the board.
GALA PLANNED
Meanwhile, Ozirny says MRSHA is organizing an event that’s unprecedented in Melville.
“This unique once-in-a-lifetime gala event is being planned for April 14, 2012 at the Horizon Credit Union convention centre. This gala is unprecedented and is likely to be the social event of the year in our fair city,” Ozirny says, adding more details will be announced as the gala committee advances plans.
Old CN Station getting new roof
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© Wednesday, September 21, 2011 Issue
A major component in the restoration of Melville’s historic old CN Rail Station is well underway.
Bauman’s Contracting of Grayson last Tuesday began the laborious task of removing the old and dilapidated asphalt shingles and replacing them with cedar shingles in keeping with the intent of returning the Station, built in 1908 to its original appearance.
The building’s volunteer-group owner, the Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc. (MRSHA), expects to have the reshingling component completed within a month.
“(The reshingling) is probably one of the most important (components). You need a good, new roof out there to protect the integrity of the building,” explains MRSHA president Merv Ozirny, adding it’s an expensive undertaking that will cost in excess of $100,000.
“But it’s a step that has to be taken because you can’t start on the inside until you have the outside protected,” Ozirny says.
MRSHA took ownership of the building in 2010 after CN moved its operations to a new building the winter of 2002-2003. The building was in need of repair while CN occupied it and deteriorated further during the years it sat vacant.
MRSHA came into being in 2004 and was able to secure the building after lengthy negotiations with CN which wanted to demolish the building and even went as far as seeking authorization from the federal government to do just that.
However, says Ozirny, a group of citizens concerned that Melville would lose one of its most historically important landmarks if the building was leveled decided to seek ownership.
Ozirny, in an earlier interview, says re-shingling the roof with cedar shingles will bring it back to its original state when it was built in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway under the direction of Charles Melville Hays who would later gain fame as one of the most-high-profile passengers on the ill-fated Titanic which sank on its 1912 maiden voyage.
Not only does the old Station represent an essential piece of local history but it also has a national angle - it’s the only one of its kind in Canada.
From a local perspective, there have been generations of families that have worked for the Grand Trunk and its successor, CN, and the railways have arguably been the most dominant factor in the city’s history.
From a national perspective, MRSHA board member Tim Ziola says, the building was designated one of the Grand Trunk’s “special” designs and was one of only two that were built in Canada using Plan 100-56. The other building was constructed in McBride, BC several years after Melville’s was built. However, it burned to the ground shortly afterward.
Once the roof is completed the next stage will be the restoration of the exterior which will get underway next spring and will centre on refurbishing windows and other trim, repairing stucco and painting, Ozirny points out.
Unlike the roof which requires specialized tradesmen, much of the exterior work can be done by volunteers.
In the meantime, MRSHA will be involved in the upcoming Oucharek Quartet performance set for 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 2 at City Hall Auditorium. The Quartet members are professional musicians from the Regina Symphony Orchestra who perform on stringed instruments made by local craftsman Wally Oucharek.
“Wally who’s been a great supporter of our project in restoring the Rail Station has allowed us to use his Oucharek Quartet as a fundraiser. For anyone who’s attended these concerts before they will know it’s first-class entertainment.”
Ozirny says MRSHA is pleased with the increasing support it’s getting from the community for the project. The group has a solid board of directors and a lengthy list of volunteers who are committed to preserving this essential piece of history.
And as the project moves along, Ozirny expects that support to grow: “I’m sure that as the public sees what’s happening to the roof and the exterior that will drum up new and more support all the time.”
MRSHA set for second work bee
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© Wednesday, June 8, 2011 Issue
Bring your brooms and shovels, shop vacs and work gloves, and help preserve Melville’s history.
That’s the invitation extended to local residents by Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA) as it prepares for another work bee Saturday at the old CN Station.
The work bee, the second major one organized by MRSHA following the first one last June, is the prelude to a major project slated for this year, the re-shingling of the roof, says Tim Ziola, MRSHA board member.
“We’re going to be looking after clearing up what was left from the last cleanup. We’re going to be filling some holes, basically looking after everything to get it ready for the roof to be redone,” Ziola explains.
MRSHA took title to the building last spring, several years after CN vacated the building and moved into new premises in 2002-2003. Since that time, the building has suffered noticeable deterioration, particularly the roof.
Re-shingling the roof with cedar shingles will bring it back to its original state when it was built in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway under the direction of Charles Melville Hays who would later gain fame as one of the most-high-profile passengers on the ill-fated Titanic which sank on its 1912 maiden voyage.
MRSHA expects the restoration of the building will occur in phases over a number of years. Plans call for the roof to be refurbished by year’s end with work next to be undertaken on the exterior, followed by attention to the interior.
It’s a large undertaking, Ziola admits, but the building is of extreme importance both nationally and locally.
The building was designated one of the Grand Trunk’s “special” designs and was one of only two that were built in Canada. The other building was constructed in McBride, BC several years after Melville’s was built. However, it burned to the ground shortly afterward leaving Melville’s as the only one of its kind in Canada, Ziola says.
From a local perspective, there have been generations of families that have worked for the Grand Trunk and its successor, CN, and the railways have arguably been the most dominant factor in the city’s history.
Residents have a greater appreciation of history since the city lost one of its most enduring landmarks in February 2010.
“We’ve all seen what the impact was when we lost the King George. (The Station) is one of a kind in Canada. It’s something we need to keep. It’s our Main Street and it would change the entire look of the street if we lost that so we need to keep it,” Ziola says.
Saturday’s cleanup starts at 9 a.m. - weather permitting - and Ziola expects around 40 volunteers to show up, similar to last year’s work bee which attracted more than 40 people.
Saturday’s event will see lunch supplied courtesy of Pharmasave with other businesses also contributing to the project.
Past News
MRSHA Wants You
Old Station Work Bee Saturday
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© The Melville Advance, August 18, 2010 Issue
The next phase of an ambitious project to restore one of Melville’s oldest and most historic landmarks - and the only one of its kind in Canada — is nearing launch.
But before Phase 2 - the reshingling - of the old CN Station at the south end of Main Street can start, a substantial amount of preparatory work must be done.
And that’s where Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA) says local citizens can play a huge role in the preservation of the building constructed in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, the predecessor of CN.
MRSHA has scheduled a Community Work Bee for Saturday. Based on the volunteer response which drew 43 people when the first Work Bee was held June 12, organizers are hoping there’ll be similar numbers Saturday, says Merv Ozirny, MRSHA vice chair.
“That Work Bee was really encouraging to all of us. It gave us new spirit and new energy to revitalize this old building and we’re ready to move on with the next phases.”
Ozirny says with enough volunteers the large majority of the prepatory work can be completed in one day.
Saturday’s Work Bee calls for the demolition of the Station’s west-side addition as well as the removal of the canopy that extends along the south side.
The removal of the west-side addition accomplishes two objectives. Firstly, the addition isn’t an original part of the building so its demolition will restore the historical integrity of the structure.
Its demolition also means MRSHA won’t have to go to the expense of restoring it. The removal of the south-side canopy is necessary because it’s deteriorated so badly.
Contractors have advised MRSHA the canopy isn’t salvageable so it’ll be removed. Then the canopy will be rebuilt with new material but at this point, the only original material that can be salvaged are the support brackets.
Removing the canopy will also allow for easier access once the actual shingling gets under way, expected later this fall.
During Saturday’s Work Bee, volunteers will also complete the last of the interior cleaning, particularly vacuuming a few remaining rooms.
MRSHA has been working closely with the National Historic Sites and Monuments board which has authorized the work to be undertaken. The Station falls under Canada’s Heritage Railway Station Protection Act proclaimed in 1990.
At last Monday’s meeting city council approved a motion to waive landfill fees for the demolished material, something council also did for the June 12 Work Bee.
“The city has been most generous in waiving the landfill fees for the material that will be removed from the station,” says Ozirny, adding council’s support is a reflection of the growing support MRSHA sees within the community as more and more people are understanding the need to preserve this building.
“The support for this project is growing every day, taking the form of donations, taking the form of interest, people calling about it, enquiring as to what they can do to help.”
And that help will come in handy for Saturday’s Work Bee, Ozirny concludes.
Railway Daze - 2010
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© The Melville Advance, July 21, 2010 Issue
The crowds expected to celebrate Melville’s annual Railway Daze this weekend are being challenged to raise the roof.
Volunteers working to refurbish the historic CN station to its former glory will hold a Raise the Roof rally at the Railway Daze main stage downtown starting at 3 p.m. Saturday.
Volunteer Mark Orosz says the group is holding an information session during Railway Daze in the hope it’ll catch the attention and interest of local residents and visitors attending the summer celebration.
“Some of the board will be there and they will tell people what our plans are and the phases we plan to go through to bring the station back into the shape it once was,” Orosz told The Advance. “Hopefully we’ll have some pictures there to show what it’ll look like when the upgrades are done.”
The physical work began last month with a well-attended work party to clear the former station of debris and garbage collected since CN vacated the station about eight years ago. Although organizers weren’t sure what response they’d get when they called for clean-up volunteers, Orosz says the group was pleasantly surprised 43 people showed up to pitch in.
Orosz says group members were pleased by the response to their clean-up day and want to keep the enthusiasm growing. To do that, organizers decided to hold the Raise the Roof rally to catch people’s interest in the group’s future projects.
While the clean up was the first basic phase, Orosz says the second step will require more effort, and money.
“For the next phase, we’re hoping to take down the overhang on the south side, then put up scaffolding and patch and shingle the roof.”
Organizers are also planning another work bee and will need 20 to 30 able-bodied people to help out. They also hope by then to have awarded a contract for the roof work so that can get started.
For grant purposes, Orosz says it’s important people are willing to volunteer their labor or consider giving a financial donation to the project. Most grants the group is looking at will match funds already raised. However, he says the value of volunteer, in-kind, labor can also be used for matching grants.
The group estimates it needs about $100,000 to complete the roof work and currently it has about $25,000 plus the value of the first work bee. Therefore it needs almost $50,000 more in labor value or donations.
Meanwhile a Melville-based non-profit organization is dedicating money from two fundraising events to the railway station upgrade.
Manager Roger Young says Sarcan Melville will donate all the money it raises from recycling milk containers during August to the station project.
Each August, Sarcan Saskatchewan donates a matching amount its depots raise collecting milk containers to a local charity in each community. Young says Melville’s Sarcan decided its charity this year should be the railway station. To make the most of the Sarcan offer, Young suggests people hang on to their containers until August so they can maximize the amount raised for the station.
“What we want to get across to people is bring your containers in during August.”
The other event Sarcan is holding to raise money for the station is a raffle. The organization is selling tickets, for $1, for a piece of outdoor furniture. The furniture is a single unit featuring two wooden seats attached by a side table. Young expects the tickets to be on sale by August and the draw date is set for Sept. 3.
Volunteers start with cleanup
Station reclamation launched Saturday, June 12, 2010
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© The Melville Advance, June 16, 2010 Issue
They swept, they shoveled, they hauled and they tossed.
And when the 40 volunteers called it a day Saturday, the first phase of the restoration of Melville’s old CN Station was nearly completed.
That first phase in reclaiming the 102-year-old structure — arguably one of Melville’s most important historical landmarks - called for the interior cleanup.
And clean they did. Starting at 9 a.m. and working until late afternoon, the scores of volunteers removed truckloads of old office equipment, papers, discarded clothing, musty carpets and other refuse left behind when CN vacated the old Station and moved to new headquarters several years ago.
For the Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA) which fought to prevent the building from being demolished and which obtained the title to the structure two months ago, the cleanup marked the first step in bringing the Station back to its former glory.
“The volunteers who turned out were way over what we had expected,” says MRSHA chairman Merv Ozirny, adding “80 per cent of the cleanup is done. All of the debris removal has been completed.
“We had approximately (40) volunteers, we had dump trucks, front-end loader, power generators...everything a volunteer army required to make this an extremely successful day, the first big step in the reclamation of the CNR Station,” Ozirny says.
Not only was it gratifying to see the large numbers of workers and the businesses who donated equipment and supplies but what’s additionally encouraging is the number of new people who’ve signed up to join the MRSHA board which currently consists of about 10 members, Ozirny points out.
Taken together, the enthusiasm for the event indicates the reservoir of support Melville’s citizenry has for the project, Ozirny says, a multi-year project and one that’s going to be quite costly.
With the first phase - the cleanup - almost completed MRSHA will turn its energies to phase two, the re-shingling of the roof. The south side of the roof is badly deteriorated and must be repaired to stop water from leaking into the structure.
MRSHA plans to re-roof the building with cedar shingles as part of the plan to return it to its original state. The re-shingling will be an expensive undertaking and Ozirny says the board will soon lay out a plan for accomplishing that, perhaps even re-shingling the roof in sections as funds become available.
“I’d say we’re ahead of schedule right now compared to where we thought we’d be and with the community support we received today it certainly looks like a very, very positive initiative for us.”
One of those volunteers was Mary-Ellen Scott, a relative newcomer to the city who admits an interest in historic buildings.
“I bought a 100-year-old house that I’m restoring and when I heard people were restoring another landmark, I just had to pitch in.
“It’s amazing what can happen when you have everyone working together, people from all walks of life, all jobs, all age groups,” Scott explains.
Long-time resident Bryan Kirk, another volunteer, was pleased with the progress made.
“It was a good day, a good turnout and everybody pitched in...I’m satisfied with the way things went.
Kirk understands the necessity of preserving the building and says that need comes into particular focus following the destruction of the King George Hotel, another city landmark, in a February fire.
“(the old CN Station) has got a lot of history. I can remember it from childhood and I’d like to see it back to where it was.
“Considering it’s the only one left in the country, it’s got a lot of history and I think it’ll create a lot of interest across the country for tourist to come and see. There is more to old buildings to what we think there is,” Kirk concludes.
Old CN Station cleanup on Saturday, June 12, 2010
By LIN OROSZ - Advance Editor
© The Melville Advance, June 9, 2010 Issue
The old CN Station has been ‘graveyard’ quiet ever since the company moved its operations next door to a newer facility several years ago.
That’s going to change when a group of volunteers descend on the 100-year-old building Saturday to give the interior a thorough housecleaning.
The cleanup is the first phase of the campaign by Melville Rail Station Heritage Association (MRSHA) to restore the building’s roof and exterior which has fallen into a state of considerable disrepair.
MRSHA, formed several years ago with the intent of preserving the building - the only one of its kind in Canada - recently became owners of the historic landmark.
And the first step as owners is to give the interior a cleaning. MRSHA hopes to have a score of volunteers at the old Station Saturday at 9 a.m. They’re asked to bring brooms, shovels, shop vacuums and even electrical generators.
“Having just received title to the property there will be volunteers going in to clean up the building to haul out debris that’s collected the last number of years,” says MRSHA chairman Merv Ozirny.
“This is the first step in the process of reclaiming and rejuvenating this building. We hope we have between 20 and 30 volunteers,” Ozirny says.
The building was constructed in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway under the direction of Charles Melville Hays who would later gain fame as one of the most-high-profile passengers on the ill-fated Titanic which sank on its 1912 maiden voyage.
MRSHA has received support in the form of material and equipment from a number of businesses and donors. The City of Melville has also contributed by waiving the landfill fees for the rubbish collected by the cleanup volunteers.
While MRSHA realizes the enormity of the overall roofing and exterior costs, the importance of saving a historical treasure came into even sharper relief when one of the city’s oldest buildings, the King George Hotel built in 1909, was destroyed by fire in February, says Mark Orosz, another MRSHA director.
“People, when they see the empty hole left by the destruction of the King George, better understand the importance of saving our history. To have another hole at the end of Main Street had the old CN station been demolished, would have been a double tragedy,” Orosz says in an earlier interview.
Marj Redenbach, another MRSHA member and the city’s unofficial historian, says the building embodies an essential piece of the city’s history.
“It’s the story of Melville’s founding, it’s the story of Melville’s birth, and it’s a continuing story” Redenbach says of the station which was granted Heritage Railway Station designation by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board in 1992 because of its ‘historical and architectural significance’.
Aside from the overall historic significance for the city, the building is integral to many of the personal histories of current and former residents, and those residents both living and deceased, Redenbach explains.
Contact Lin Orosz at 1.306.728.5448
Email: Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc.
We welcome all donations for the restoration of this historic majestic landmark.
Donations qualify for an income tax receipt (Contact us for further details).
Mail to
Melville Rail Station Heritage Association Inc.
P.O. Box 1420, Melville, Saskatchewan S0A 2P0
©The Melville Advance
June 15, 2011 issue of The Melville Advance.©
