Rocky View County architect and self-described ski bum Paul Tarjan wants to see a Calgary to Banff passenger rail built in his lifetime and is offering his architectural expertise pro bono to build a whistle stop in Cochrane, if the project goes ahead.
Tarjan, who's been a vocal proponent of passenger rail for years, said he was shocked to learn there was no public transit in place when he moved to the area around 1969.
"I live where I do mostly to be close to the mountains," said Tarjan. "I love skiing and when I came to the area, I was surprised to see not much was in place for public transit to get to the mountains. There wasn't even any buses or anything at that time."
The architect, who operates the Tarjan Group out of Calgary with his wife Julie, said he makes a point of getting out to the mountains at least once or twice a week, whether to ski or hike.
"There should be some way of getting there without plugging up the highways and all that," he said.
He's proposing that he will get involved with the project to help build a rail station in Cochrane on the condition that if it the rail project goes ahead, the Tarjan Group will stay on as the architect of the actual building.
It wouldn't be his first build in Cochrane – Tarjan also constructed the Shopper's Drug Mart, the shopping complex which houses Mehtab Cuisine, the building that houses Starbucks, as well as some of the apartment complexes that sit just behind the pharmacy.
"Any complex project like this follows the same path," Tarjan explained. "The first job is to determine the functional requirements like what exactly should be in the train station — what facilities, the size — we would determine what we call the program."
The offer to get involved at this stage and carry it further is on the table, said the architect. Though the rail project itself, which is being proposed by co-developers Banff-based Liricon Capital Ltd. and Quebec-based Plenary Americas, is still in the early phases.
The two companies submitted an updated proposal for the $1.5-billion project to Alberta Transportation, Invest Alberta Corporation and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) to move from the development phase into design in December 2021.
Their proposal seeks a Government of Alberta annual performance payment of $30 million per year, with payments beginning the year after construction, contingent upon the performance of the train.
The provincial government is not likely to make a decision on the advancement of the project into the next phase until the second quarter of this year, but Tarjan said his offer still stands regardless of timing. He said this is something he's been pushing for, for years.
Tarjan and his wife, who previously worked with CP Rail on a project as an interior designer, set up a meeting with the company's vice-president several years ago to discuss the idea of putting in a passenger train.
"He spent the whole hour explaining to us why that's not a good idea, and he didn't convince me because from his perspective, it sounded like it was all about money," said Tarjan.
"There's more to life than money, and to prevent congestion and pollution and all that is also worthwhile."
The architect has had the opportunity to meet briefly with Cochrane Mayor Jeff Genung to offer his services to the project and hopes that if it does go forward, that his offer will be considered.
