Beaver Siding Train Station / Museum Project

Once we have completed our build, as already mentioned, we will invite various groups to display and share their local history as they are the ones most knowledgeable for telling their own stories. We plan to proactively engage any group that has a connection to local and regional history. Display space will be offered on a rotational basis to these groups due to space limitations.  This approach will therefore be all-inclusive and offer a broad spectrum of history to Valley residents.

The Beaver Valley highly values all of our green space.  Much or all of the proposed construction will take place on the grassy part of our Railway Park, as we intend to leave the walk way and garden spaces untouched.   Should any piece of this beautiful park be disturbed it will be remediated as part or our overall project objectives.  While Fortis was a generous contributor to our Railway Park, there were many other funders: Village of Fruitvale, Area A, Atco Wood Products, Selkirk Paving, Beaver Valley Manor, Individual families, Seib Construction, Alva Irrigation, Piccolo Lawn Care, April Kopp, Wayne’s Excavating, JR Excavating, Hubscher Logging, Blooming Society, Larry Levesque, Jim Simmons and Lakewood Landscapes. This was a collaboration of many, and our apologies if we missed anyone, as this park was created some time ago.  Additionally, the Village also has plans to create yet more green space alongside the creek on their recently acquired land between the RV park and the liquor store/veterinary building.

As we are in early design phase of this proposed project, we have yet to nail down interior details.  Our intent would be to provide adequate lighting, temperature control, and security features as key considerations. It would be also be our intention to reach out to various groups within the community to share their own stories of the Valley AND of the region.  We will engage first with the BV Pend O’Reille Historical Society, and other such groups as local museums, First Nation Groups, West Kootenay Metis Association, Fruitvale CoOp, Local Forestry companies and grocers.  Lots of history here! There are many groups we wish to invite to share their stories, on a rotational basis, in this public facility. We look forward to connecting with the Pend O’reille Historical Society as well as other experts in local and regional history.

Beaver Valley Recreation was approached by a member of the public almost FIVE years ago with the idea of a Train Station. The proposed build is a Train Station/mini museum/community meeting space.  Not a TRAIN MUSEUM specifically.  As mentioned in some of our opening comments this idea came to us a few years ago from local residents to share local history through the creation of a Train Station as rail transportation played such a large role of settling many communities across the country. We too love Railway Park, as do the many investors who took part in that build.  We have no intention of changing what this great park has offered.

Further, we hope to create a little more interest in the Pole Yard parking lot. Let’s bring some of our own locals into the downtown core.  Educate our residents on local and regional history.  Create a buzz adding in some economic development. Bring in some tourists. Get them to stop and have lunch. Shop in our stores. And of course, we create the space to tell our own story.