It is a historic symbol of the community and one of the most important buildings in town. Sadly, though, the CN rail station here in Humboldt has become an eyesore. Once a welcoming sight to visitors traveling to and from Humboldt, the station is now boarded up and in a state of abject disrepair. Weeds poke through cracks in the walls and the shingles are curling. A building that the people of Humboldt should be proud of has become, at least in our view, a shameful symbol of negligence.
The blame cannot be laid squarely at the feet of the city; the building is still owned by CN and is protected by the terms of the Heritage Railway Station Act, an act that severely restricts what can and cannot be done with it. If CN wanted to sell, demolish or alter the building it would have to file paperwork and receive government permission to make any changes. Currently, there is no indication that any changes are coming. According to city officials, the repairs would cost several hundred thousand dollars and there's never been any recent serious conversation about purchasing the building from CN. Railway officials have also indicated that there are no plans afoot to remove the station's heritage status, which would free the building's owner to do with it as they please.
Of course, there is an assumption that protected buildings will be protected in some way. Here in Humboldt, that hasn't been the case. The station looks like it was abandoned in some sort of apocalyptic disaster; inside, lockers and desks still hang open and a small artificial Christmas tree takes up one dusty corner. It's as if the night shift ended and no one ever came back. It wasn't always this way.
The station was built in 1905, the same year that train service began here and connected Humboldt to a nationwide transportation system. It was a sign that the city had arrived. Passenger service was offered until 1980, bringing people from across the country and around the world to this city. It is no exaggeration to say that the rail line and its station were the lifeblood of Humboldt. Without them Humboldt may have remained an isolated dot on the map, forgotten to all but the few hundred who lived here.
Something has to be done.
This should be about answers, not problems. The purpose of this editorial is not to point fingers or dole out blame; it is to get a conversation going about what to do with what should be a jewel in Humboldt's crown. Where do you stand on this issue? Are you tired of staring at the broken-down building as you bump over the tracks? Do you want to see it razed to the ground, better gone than in its current state? Would you like to see the station renovated and transformed into some sort of museum, homage to the history of rail in Humboldt? Are you OK with the situation as it is? If it were possible, would you be willing to let the city spend hundreds of thousands on purchasing and renovating the station?
In any case, we'd like to hear your thoughts. Send us an email with your opinions to [email protected]. Call the paper at 306-682-2561 or stop by in person and let us know what you think. It's an issue that's gone unresolved, one way or the other, for far too long.
