Re – railway plan

Pamela Giroux | Sep 09, 2020

I do not belong to the Sharbot Lake Business Group or the Rural Tourism Group floating the new railway plan.

I arrived in Sharbot Lake 54 years ago when Sharon MacDonald was a lovely young student

I would see in the halls at Sharbot Lake High School and Nelda Whan was the friendly lady with the sweet smile in the post office. Both women have written compelling letters describing their memories of the railway and station from the past.

Those sepia tinged memories reflect the nostalgic longing for something which will never be as it once was.

I do not live in downtown Sharbot Lake but reside south of the village on Wagner Rd. where this morning seated on my verandah sipping coffee I heard the train whistle blow as it passed through Crow Lake. My, my, I wonder what a high frequency train whistle will sound like as it barrels through the village. Preserving this unique little village with its distinctive charm and character is something I cherish. Putting a double track railway system through the middle of town will change the look of this village in ways no one could possibly imagine.

The railway of the past isn't going to look like the railway of the future. There are alternatives to look at and still reap the economic advantage of having a railway and station close by. Let's be clear headed and open minded here and listen carefully to one another as we walk as one on Mother Earth.

Pamela Giroux