The Station Gallery Opened, 2005
After the last trip up the Victoria Railway in 1981, many people wondered what would become of the line and its buildings. Around 1983, the rails were taken up, and then the Village of Fenelon Falls purchased the old station. By then the building was getting a little run down, so it was restored by the municipality, including the installation of a cement block foundation in 1988—previously, the station sat at ground level to accommodate luggage and freight carts.
The old train station was repurposed as the Chamber of Commerce. When the train had been the principal mode of long-distance travel, many visitors’ first stop in the village was the station. As the Chamber of Commerce, visitors still stopped at the station for tourist information about which sites to see in Fenelon Falls. It was an interesting starting point for the Chamber’s village tours. However, it was a long way from the Fenelon Locks, and was not a convenient location for boaters. In 1999, the Chamber of Commerce moved to the corner of Water/Oak and May Streets, facing the canal.
In 1991, Victoria County purchased the abandoned rail line, and many expected that the municipality would sell the land to adjacent property owners and reap the windfall. The Somerville and District Snowmobile Association instead proposed to create a recreational corridor. The political issue became financial, but when the snowmobile association offered to pay to replace the McLaren’s Creek Bridge, it allowed the project to go ahead, creating the Victoria Rail Trail.
Since the Chamber of Commerce had vacated Fenelon Station, local artists were looking for a location to exhibit and market their works. In 2005, an artists’ co-operative opened the Fenelon Station Gallery and gift shop. Since then, many local artists have exhibited their art there. In 2023, the building was once again refurbished, while retaining the historic appearance of a railway station. On July 14, 2024, the co-operative celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Victoria Railway and the rejuvenation of Fenelon Station.
