- A New Permanent Home for the Royal Hudson
- A New Major Exhibit Building for the West Coast Railway Heritage Park
- A Great New Community Facility for Squamish
These are the headlines as the West Coast Railway Association announces the start of the new $4 million Roundhouse & Conference Centre at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park , which will be built in 2005 / 2006. The project, an integral part of the Heritage Park’s planned long term development, sprung ahead in the schedule due a series of actions and events. Now, we will have a first class new feature facility that will protect and exhibit the most significant pieces of our heritage railway collection, provide us a new and first class exhibit facility, and provide new revenues for the Heritage Park as it also doubles as a great community facility.
The concept of the Roundhouse & Conference Centre was developed in first detail about two years ago, as the business planning for the Heritage Park progressed and the 2010 Winter Olympics bid were announced. Director Ron Anstey actually started the notion earlier, with his concept drawing (left) of such a facility. The concept was incorporated into WCRA’s planning for the Heritage Park, and included with our first internal view of what the Heritage Park might be able to offer by the time the 2010 winter Olympics were held. About the same time, the Royal Hudson came our way and we knew that we had to plan for a permanent and safe home for the classic locomotive, where she could be properly exhibited when not out in service, and protected from the weather for the long term.
In 2004, the Roundhouse & Conference Centre became a stand alone project, and the WCRA’s Board of Directors endorsed it as a major project initiative for work in 2005. The budget was set at $4 million, and possible funding sources were reviewed. The Canada—BC Infrastructure program looked like one to target, but it needed private matching funds. Then, a major step happened when a WCRA member stepped forward and pledged $2 million in private money for the project, if we could get the matching money from the government or other sources. The project became an immediate priority!
The Executive Summary from the proposal, written by Don Evans, outlines the project as it was put forward:
This proposal outlines the case for the construction of the Roundhouse & Conference Centre at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, B.C. The new building will serve a dual purpose at the Heritage Park, housing the seven most precious pieces of the West Coast Railway Association’s heritage collection, including the world famous Royal Hudson, as well as serving as a unique conference and special events venue that can offer up to 20,000 square feet of clear meeting / event space.
The West Coast Railway Association (WCRA) is the largest railway heritage organization in Western Canada (and second in all of Canada), and has assembled Western Canada’s largest collection of heritage railway equipment, which it displays at its West Coast Railway Heritage Park in Squamish, B.C. This privately funded charitable organization has grown to 1,500 members, holds an asset value of $4.5 million (book value at cost, 2004), and generates an annual cash flow of more than $1.5 million (2004). Its strategy is to self-fund all operations on a sound business basis while it generates capital from operations and fundraising (as well as investment funds).
The West Coast Railway Heritage Park is a major Squamish attraction site with good public facilities on the Sea to Sky corridor route. The Heritage Park first opened in 1994 and has shown growth in guest visits every year since opening. In 2004 it celebrated its tenth year of public operation, and hosted its 250,000th guest. Final stats for 2004 will show that more than 45,000 people have visited the Park, generating more than $1.2 million positive economic impact to Squamish. The West Coast Railway Heritage Park became the most visited railway heritage facility in Canada in 2004!
The Roundhouse & Conference Centre is a major component in the long-range development plan of the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. This building would be built by the 2005 - 2006 time frame, and is a $4 million capital project. The Roundhouse will be functional as an exhibit and support base for these railway artifacts, and will be designed to high public access standards for interpretation and viewing of these exhibits. It is designed to add 25,000 annual visitors to the facility and to Squamish, creating a new annual economic benefit of $1.08 million in addition to the economic benefit from construction estimated at $10.8 million in 2005 / 2006. The total ten year economic impact of this project is $19.4 million.
As part of the business plan being carried out in the development of the Heritage Park, buildings are designed to be multi-purpose in nature, to ensure that they are also able to drive profitable revenue streams to support the ongoing heritage work of the organization. In the case of the Roundhouse, the planned design is to use the facility as a unique meeting / conference facility for the Squamish community. This dual role is accomplished by rolling the railway artifacts outside the building, installing portable floor panels over the track flangeways, thus creating the needed open space for large meetings to 20,000 square feet. The building would be known as the Roundhouse & Conference Centre, and would also have a catering area and full accessible public facilities. Imagine dining with the Royal Hudson as your backdrop!
The facility is already booked for the Association of Railway Museums Annual Conference in 2009, which will be hosted and held at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. Delegates from all over North America will attend this four-day gathering. The Roundhouse & Conference Centre is also ideally situated to take some role associated with the 2010 Winter Olympics.
Railways hold a unique passion for Canadians and their visitors as we have seen in the continued growth of the Heritage Park. The Roundhouse & Conference Centre will capitalize on this passion by creating another unique venue at Canada’s number one railway heritage attraction, right here in British Columbia.
Next was the application for funding and all the work that had to accompany this for the funding program being addressed. The District of Squamish became a partner in the application for the Infrastructure funds, and Squamish Council passed a resolution of support. The application was submitted and design and costing work began.
WCRA Director Colin Smith helped immensely with this stage, with his engineering and construction background. Grant Ferguson also was a major help with his background, and soon Musson Cattell Mackay Partnership architects had completed a first cut design for the building. With the design ready, quantity surveyor Tony Steadman then had to crunch out the numbers. With a little work all was ready, and the final details submitted to Victoria.
Then, on March 8, the news we had been holding our breath waiting for came—the Province of British Columbia would provide a grant of $2 million from its Community Development Infrastructure initiative towards the Roundhouse & Conference Centre. Their press release follows:
Squamish – A $2 million grant from the province’s Community Development Infrastructure initiative will go to help construct a new $4 million Roundhouse and Conference Centre at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park, said West Vancouver-Garibaldi MLA, Ted Nebbeling.
“This addition to the West Coast Railway Heritage Park is estimated to attract 25,000 new visitors,” said Nebbeling. “It will also house some precious historical items from the Railway Association’s heritage collection.”
The District of Squamish will partner with the WCRA for the project. It will be a unique conference and special events venue, featuring a catering area and up to 20,000 square feet of meeting and event space. The roundhouse will also display historical items, including the world-famous Royal Hudson locomotive.
“This great new facility at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park will add an exciting new community venue for Squamish, as well as greatly enhance our railway preservation and exhibit facilities”, said Don Evans, Executive Director of West Coast Railway Association.
Announced by the Ministry of Small Business and Economic Development through supplemental estimates to the 2004/05 budget, the $66 million Community Development Initiative provides up to two-thirds funding for significant community infrastructure projects around BC The projects selected for funding come from proposals submitted to government under the Canada/BC Infrastructure Program and the Western Economic Partnership Agreement.
“This project will help Squamish showcase its distinctive history and attract tourists to our region,” said Nebbeling. “This is especially important during the lead up to the 2010 Olympic Games.”
The presentation is scheduled at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park for 1100 hours on March 18, 2005. Presenting will be MLA Ted Nebbeling, present will be WCRA members, media, and Squamish Council and others. Following the ceremonies, a champagne reception in the Mac Norris Station is planned to celebrate this momentous occasion.
We are quite out of space now in this issue, so we’ll cover details and construction schedules next issue, and leave you with this draft design sketch of what the south (Government Road) side elevation of the new roundhouse could look like.
