Beiseker residents joined Village councillors April 25 for the biannual town hall meeting, where citizens had a chance to express concerns about how the village was run.
Many residents had something to say about Beiseker’s aesthetics. Among concerns was the present state of the Bassano train station.
Twenty years ago, Canadian Pacific removed the railway that ran through Beiseker and donated the land to Alberta Trail Net (ATN). The Alberta Centennial Railway Museum Society (ACRMS) leased land from ATN, and in 2012 brought in a nearly 100-year-old passenger railway station from the Town of Bassano to be restored as part of a historic railway museum.
In mid-September 2015, the Bassano station mysteriously caught fire. The south half of the station was destroyed, and the rest of the building remains unrestored and in a state of decay with peeling paint and broken windows.
Insurance was unable to save the building due to significant and costly water damage.
Beiseker residents at the meeting expressed frustration with the half-burnt building, calling it an eyesore and detrimental to the visual appeal of the village.
Mayor Ray Courtman said if the Bassano station is going to be cleaned up, it will have to be done by ATN or ACRMS. The Village is dealing with the replacement of deteriorating water valves and gaping potholes, and Courtman said they simply don’t have the money to deal with the station.
“We’re running a very, very tight budget these days with the economy the way it is we just can’t afford to do anything,” he said.
But Courtman and council want to have the station cleaned up and have been making an effort to get ATN to do its part as landowner. The non-profit is yet to get back to them and Courtman said he felt it’s unlikely they will be eager to fund a non-trail-related project.
“Trail Net does not seem to like putting money into their projects. They would prefer the local municipality to take it over.”
Council continues to make phone calls to ATN and Courtman said they hope to see the station dealt with this summer.
Hole-y Ground
A business at the end of Main Street boasts a large hole, apparently left behind from removed gas tanks.
At the town hall meeting, Beiseker citizens expressed frustration with the appearance of the hole after the Village had put so much time and effort towards updating Main Street.
Council explained because the hole is located on private property, there is little it can do to remedy the situation. However, that did not stop Courtman from voicing his displeasure over the situation.
“We put many tens of thousands of dollars into the beautification of Main Street, putting trees and new sidewalks and everything into there,” Courtman said.
Though the owners said they have landscaped the area, they declined to comment further.
