Saving Freeman Station
Saving Freeman Station was a challenge for Council. There was not enough support on Council to have the City of Burlington pay for the restoration, so instead I convinced Council that with a Citizen’s committee we could raise the funds necessary to save it. Council supported the idea but wasn’t confident it could be done because previously a citizens group had tried to save it unsuccessfully.
We struck a citizen’s committee and have been successful in obtaining their charitable status. Then we started raising money in the community both in cash and in kind donations. We also had to find a new home for the station. The move is now complete and you will find it on Fairview Street close to the road and beside the Fire station. Just recently we built the foundation with some assistance from King Paving and are now ready to install services and begin the restoration.
Freeman Station is an important part of Burlington’s heritage, and I am very proud to have been recognized by the committee for my efforts in helping to save it. They recently provided me with a life time membership to Friends of Freeman and they will lay the first cornerstone in my honour.
The community support for this project clearly showed Freeman Station to be an important part of our heritage and worth saving.
Our vision became reality due to the community support we received.