ACIC MONTH DAY YEAR

THE ALLANDALE COMMUNITY INTERPRETIVE CENTRE

A PROPOSAL TO THE CITY OF BARRIE

ACIC
5555 STREET, CITY, STATE 55555 • PHONE 555.555.5555 • ALLANDALE_CENTRE@HOTMAIL.COM

INTERPRETING ALLANDALE
THE RAILWAY & ALLANDALE
For over a century and a half the small community
of Allandale has played a defining role in the
history of the railway in Ontario. With the arrival
of the first train on October 11th, 1853 Allandale
began to play a vital part in connecting the major
cities of the south to Georgian Bay. By the turn of
the century Allandale was the hub of the Grand
Trunk Railway’s operations in northern Ontario.
Between 1900 and 1905 the Grand Trunk
constructed the current station along with a state of
the art complex for servicing steam locomotives.
The new station facilities included a luxurious
restaurant, a ticket office/waiting room, and a
despatcher’s office while the engine servicing
complex constituted of a coaling tower, master
mechanic’s office, twenty-seven stall roundhouse
and turntable, and a machine shop. Today only the
station complex, mechanic’s office, and
roundhouse foundations remain.
With the bankruptcy of the GTR in 1919 the
Allandale facilities became the division point of the
Canadian National’s Allandale Division. Between
1922 and the 1950’s Allandale served as the hub of
operations stretching between cities such as
Toronto, Hamilton, Huntsville, and North Bay. By
the 1950’s it was not uncommon for several
generations of an Allandale family to have worked
for the railway. By 1958, however, things were
beginning to change. The last of Allandale’s fleet
of steam locomotives were retired and all but a few
were sent south to be scrapped. In 1980 the
Allandale Station closed and in 1996 CN
abandoned the last of the tracks which once made
up the Allandale Division. The remaining tracks
between Bradford and Collingwood were
purchased by the City of Barrie and the Town of
Collingwood and are today operated by the Barrie-
Collingwood Railway and GO Transit.
MONTH DAY YEAR
A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY
The Allandale Station and railway lands were once
the heart of the community and with Allandale
redevelopment beginning the station complex has a
chance to once again be a central point in the
neighbourhood.
In the ACIC plan the ticket office/waiting room
will be transformed into a visitors centre and café.
These facilities would provide a place for residents
and visitors alike to get a drink or a bite to eat and
get up to date information on the Allandale
community. The visitors centre would also feature
a replica of the tower which once adorned the
station, offering spectacular views of Kempenfelt
Bay and the surrounding landscape.
Adjacent to the ticket office and waiting room is a
breezeway. During the summer the breezeway
could be used as a place for artists to display and
sell their work. This would be set up in a way
similar to Barrie’s popular Kempenfest with artists
paying the city to rent space and in return receiving
a public place to display their creations.
The former restaurant, at the other end of the
breezeway, was once one of the most opulent
portions of the station. Containing ornate
architecture, a bar, and a flower and cigar shop the
restored restaurant would make a perfect facility for
special occasions. The facility could be rented out
to those looking to experience the luxury of the
gilded age on the shores of beautiful Kempenfelt
Bay and could also be used to host community
events and gatherings.
ACIC
 OVERVIEW

LEGEND

Purple = Miniature Railway and

Station

Pink = Display Tracks and Rail Link

Red = Interpretive Galleries

Green = Event Space for Rent

Orange = Breezeways

Blue = Visitor’s Centre and

Observation Tower

A colour coded map of the Yellow = Allandale Cafe

Allandale Community
Interpretive Centre

ACIC
 MONTH DAY YEAR

A LINK TO DOWNTOWN BARRIE

Several communities in Ontario such as
Orillia and Port Elgin (seen in photo right)
operate waterfront miniature railways.
Given this fact, Allandale’s rich railway
history, and the desire for a connection
between the community and downtown
Barrie a miniature railway seems like an
option worth investigating. A railway
operating along Barrie’s waterfront park
land between Allandale Station Park and
Heritage Park would create the needed link
between Allandale and the downtown core
while also providing a leisurely and
interesting way to view the scenery along
beautiful Kempenfelt Bay.

CONNECTING TO THE PAST

In the years since Allandale ceased to be a Division Point in the 1960s the community’s railway history has been
all but obliterated, taking with it a community’s distinct culture and traditions as well as the memories of the
generations of Allandale residents who helped make the development of Ontario’s north possible. With the
restoration of the Allandale Station moving ahead the City of Barrie finally has a chance to change this.

INTERPRETIVE GALLERIES
In the ACIC plan the two story brick building at the northern end of the station complex, formerly the
despatcher’s offices, would house two interpretive galleries. One of these would focus on the overall history of
the railway in Allandale between the 1850’s and the present while the other would focus on day to day operations
during the steam era. These galleries would tell the story of Allandale’s railway history through displays,
dioramas, and audio/visual presentation as well as more interactive exhibits such as a digital simulation of the
Allandale rail lands in the 1940’s.

OUTDOOR DISPLAYS
Another feature of the Allandale Community Interpretive centre would be outdoor heritage-themed displays.
These could range from things as diverse as heritage themed artwork, such as sculptures and monuments, to the
display of actual historic railway equipment, such as steam locomotive No. 1531, currently being restored at the
Simcoe County Museum. One or more display tracks running parallel to the former station platform and linking
up to the Barrie-Collingwood Railway tracks may be something worth investigating. Display tracks like this are
being incorporated into similar projects such as the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre and station restoration in
Palmerston, Ontario. Having tracks linked to live rail could prove useful in future as a way to transport
equipment (if donated) and because of the potential for operating excursions on the Barrie-Collingwood line.
TAKING INSPIRATION
SIMILAR SITES IN ONTARIO
Penetanguishene (Discovery Harbour), Midland (Sainte-
Marie among the Hurons), and Collingwood (The
Collingwood Museum) all have attractions focused on
local history. In the former John Street Roundhouse the
Toronto Railway Historical Association is currently
working to create the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre
and in Palmerston, Ontario a group of volunteers is
transforming their former station into a museum featuring The Smith Falls Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario
a library, archives, displays, and artifacts. Further to the
east the Smith Falls Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario
has been steadily growing since a group of concerned
citizens gained ownership of the Smith Falls Station in
1984. Although it is more multi-use than most of these
facilities the ACIC can none the less look to them for
inspiration.

CONCLUSION
It is of vital importance that the buildings that make up
the Allandale Station remain open to the public and do Tracks being laid at the Palmerston Railway Heritage Museum
not come to be used by private business. Heritage
buildings, especially those owned by the city, are in
essence the heart and soul of a historic neighbourhood
and their use should reflect that. It is equally important
that the historical integrity of the station buildings
remains intact.

The Allandale Community Interpretive Centre takes both

of these issues into consideration. The ACIC also
provides Allandale with a much needed community hub
and a connection to its past and culture as well as a tourist
draw similar to such attractions as Discovery Harbour
and Saint-Marie among the Hurons. Through the Volunteers working on miniature railway construction at the
connecting of Allandale’s present and past the ACIC Toronto Railway Heritage Centre
would help to guide Allandale into a bright and
prosperous future.

ACIC

5555 STREET, CITY, STATE 55555 • PHONE 555.555.5555 • FAX 555.555.5555

ALLANDALE_CENTRE@HOTMAIL.COM • WWW.ALLANDALECENTRE.BLOGSPOT.COM