The Future of Our Railway Museum Starts With Us St. Thomas proudly calls itself the Railway City. As plans take shape to revitalize the historic Railway Lands in the heart of St. Thomas, we have an opportunity to ensure that our railway heritage is not pushed to the edge of that future, but placed firmly at its centre. The Elgin County Railway Museum, located inside the historic Michigan Central Railway Shops, could become the cultural and community heart of the revitalized Railway Lands. Surrounded by future housing, businesses, trails, green spaces and public gathering areas, the museum could connect everything being built tomorrow with the history that made St. Thomas what it is today. “Successful revitalization is not simply about constructing new buildings,” said Wil Zufelt, CEO of the St. Thomas Railway Coalition. “It is about creating a place with character, identity and a reason for people to return.” More than 100 structures once stood on the Michigan Central Railway lands. Today, only two major historic buildings remain: the railway shops and the CASO Station. We cannot bring back the pieces of our railway heritage that have already disappeared. However, we can make a conscious decision to protect what remains and give it a meaningful role in the community’s future. That means looking beyond the idea of the museum as simply a place filled with railway artifacts. The vision is to create a welcoming, accessible, year-round destination that could host school visits, educational programs, weddings, business gatherings, cultural activities, community celebrations and major regional events. The museum has already shown its potential. In 2022, approximately 2,200 people visited. By 2025, attendance had grown to approximately 57,000, including those who came for special events and community activities. Every person brought to the Railway Lands is also a potential customer for downtown restaurants, shops, hotels and other businesses. The museum could be a starting point from which visitors explore the rest of St. Thomas and Elgin County, helping turn the Railway Lands into an important cultural, tourism and economic destination. “This is about more than simply preserving a building,” Wil said. “St. Thomas was built on the railway, and our railway heritage remains an important part of the identity of our community.”
Saving the museum will require support from private donors, businesses and all levels of government. Residents who believe in its future should speak with those running for mayor and council, those already serving at City Hall, and our MP and MPP. However, the conversation cannot stop with elected officials. Talk to your friends, neighbours, coworkers and family members. Share why the museum matters and encourage others to imagine what this beautiful structure could become. For this effort to succeed, the entire community must understand the opportunity and rally behind it. Visit saveourmuseum.com to write your own reason why the museum is important to you. It may be history, education, tourism, community pride or the chance to create an extraordinary gathering place in the heart of St. Thomas. Together, we can make the railway museum as relevant to our future as it was to our past.
October 2026 Issue 83 Hometown St. Thomas
Hometown St. Thomas October Cover The Elgin County Railway Museum is at the heart of our city, and we need as a community to rally around it and help shape its future. Photo by Geoff Rae
PSFT presents
A GRINCHY CELEBRATION SATURDAY DECEMBER 5 1PM & 7PM
A PSFT FUNDRAISER
PortStanleyFestival FestivalTheatre play by the lake
www.psft.ca
Hometown St. Thomas • October 2026 • Page 3
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