St. Thomas city council is considering a grant request of $1 million to help save the Elgin County Railway Museum (ECRM). It follows the building’s abrupt closure earlier this year due to structural issues. “There’s so much railway heritage that has left our town. That’s the reason to save it. You need these places,” exclaimed ECRM CEO Wil Zufelt. On Monday, council formally received the grant request, which will be dealt with by the incoming council. Spread out over five to 10 years, the money would help to preserve and revitalize the popular attraction. “Now I think it is a worthy project, and it certainly identifies our past and has an opportunity to be a pillar of our future. But I think that we should do due diligence and not only see how it fits with in our budget but that it is a sustainable plan,” said Coun. Jeff Kohler during Monday’s council discussion. “We’ve always bragged about our railway heritage being St. Thomas. And I really believe we need to keep the museum,” added Coun. Jim Herbert. The ask is part of an $8.5 million capital campaign. The federal and provincial governments will be asked to match municipal funding. Zufelt says three quarters of the overall project funding has already been identified. “What you’re going to see is about an 18,000 sq. ft. new museum here. Taking the existing museum right now, making the footprint smaller. Making it accessible, and making it sustainable,” said Zufelt. Zufelt says they’re hoping to reopen the museum in 2029.
