The Hanna Roundhouse is getting a new lease on life as it enters the next phase of its history.
The Hanna Roundhouse Society has been working on finding a way to keep the landmark intact for future generations to enjoy. The biggest stumbling block it had however was the ownership of the icon.
This September all of that changed.
“We purchased the property on September 20,” said Sandra Beaudoin who has been working on the project for years.
She explained that a few years ago, she heard the round house was purchased from CN by an individual who wanted to salvage the bricks from the building. This was about 2009, and this was her awakening. That is when she began to get involved.
“I could either sit back and say ’somebody should…’ or see what I could do,” said Beaudoin.
A dedicated group began working on a number of initiatives and by January of 2010 The Hanna Roundhouse Society was formed, and were involved in looking after the safekeeping of the historical building and structures.
They were successful on some fronts, but without ownership of the property, they weren’t able to do much.
The group recently came into some funds and was able to make it their own. They purchased the building and area to the east which includes the turntable and a foundation for a historic water tower. The parcel is about nine acres.
The next step for the non-profit society is to have the site achieve a historical designation. They have completed the application, and this week they met with Fraser Shaw, heritage consultant to assess and evaluate the site.
“This is the start of getting it designated a historical site,” said Beaudoin.
The Hanna Roundhouse Society has a vision of restoring the icon so it could be used for events or as a rental space, while at the same time preserving its historical value.
