The security fences surrounding what was left of the century-old Bassano rail station in Beiseker – after it caught fire in the early morning hours of Sept.18 – have been taken down, causing council to voice concerns about public safety.
Jo Lambert, chief administrative officer, said the fencing was removed Oct. 29 due to the building owner’s insurance claim being rejected. At the Nov. 9 meeting, council debated what could be done by the Village to make the building safer for residents as the municipality does not own the land or building.
“My concern is that the fencing is gone now and this thing is back to being a much more dangerous situation than it was before,” Councillor Warren Wise said.
Beiseker Fire Chief Bob Ursu also had public safety concerns about the station now that the security fences have been removed.
He completed an initial walkthrough of the remaining structure following the fire and noted there are parts and pieces on the south side where the fire started that are hanging down and are hazardous.
He advised the public to stay clear of the structure and not attempt to enter by any means.
“If someone goes in and starts playing around, there’s a good chance something is going to come down on them,” Ursu said. “There’s not a whole heck of a lot I can do about it, but (safety) is defiantly a concern.”
Wise argued council could question what the Village can or can’t do about the station all it wanted, but he insisted the Village would eventually be put into the position that it has to do something.
Deputy Mayor Al Henuset, though agreeing the station is a hazard without safety fences, said he did not want to see the Village committing to anything until research is completed as to what can be done properly and legally.
“I want us at completely arms length from it,” he said.
“The trouble is we’re not arms length from it,” Wise responded.
“No, but we have to be,” Henuset said. “We have to find out what the processes are to get something done.”
Lambert said the Village could look into putting up their own fences, but added some posts and snow fencing available to the municipality would not make much of a difference on safety.
“It needs to be secured properly,” she said.
The Village has since been in contact with the owner of the station and will be contacting the landowner in hopes of securing the site once again.
