By Trevor Greenway
Local Journalism Initiative

Stanley Britton is hoping that La Pêche doesn’t “pave paradise” to put up a parking lot. 

The municipality has plans to expand the parking at the popular Gatineau River beach near the Wakefield General Store, but Wakefield resident Britton, a member of Wakefield’s Rail Heritage Advocacy Group, has a much more ambitious plan to revitalize the rail network throughout the village while protecting its rich history by revamping the old train turntable.  

“When we’re talking about rail heritage and turntable park, we’re not just talking about the park,” Britton told the Low Down during a sit-down interview at Cafe Earle in late February. “We’re talking about the entire riverfront.”

Britton’s plan, which should really be called “Stan’s Plan,” features an expanded riverside boardwalk stretching the entire Wakefield village, an artists stage at Roquebrune Park – known locally as Turntable Park – and a new steam train replica, serving as a playground for local kids. His vision also calls for a replica of the old Rockhurst Junction, which would serve as a waiting shelter for trail users. 

The municipality has been considering what to do with the park ever since the Wakefield Steam Train stopped chugging through the village  in 2011. 

A major storm washed away part of the rail bed in Chelsea, and the multi-million dollar fix was too much to absorb. The rail bed became overgrown with weeds, the rail cars were sold off in pieces and the locomotive was sold to the Dalton Ecological Park in Gatineau. 

Chelsea ripped up the rails on its portion of the rail line and built the Voie Verte for pedestrians and cyclists. Britton said he’s hoping La Pêche doesn’t make the same mistake. 

“There’s a whole argument with this push to connect the trail to Chelsea, flatten it and pave it,” said Britton, referring to the Wakefield Rails to Trails group, which, in the past has argued in favour of ripping up the rails and connecting Wakefield to the Voie Verte in Chelsea. “But you’re paving over our history, really.” In Stan’s plan, paving stones would be installed between the rails, like it is in Wakefield’s centre-village.

La Pêche has since solicited proposals from consultants to revitalize the park, but in those plans, much of the history of Wakefield’s waterfront would disappear. 

“The only thing remaining would have been the water tower, and much of the green space between the turntable and the Wakefield General Store, which already accommodates a lot of parking, would essentially be all parking,” said Britton about the previous proposals submitted to the municipality. 

Britton said it would be a shame if the train turntable was removed, as the rail heritage group believes it is one of the last remaining working turntables in the country. The former Canadian Northern Railway turntable in Dauphin, one of the last ones in Manitoba, will be dismantled this summer. 

“The key to a turntable park – and indeed to all of the rail heritage – is the turntable, because it really is a major structure,” added Britton. 

Britton has sourced out the cost for replacing the deck boards at turntable park as well as at the green bridge in Wakefield at $18,000. The replica steam train playground, however, will be closer to $300,000, but Britton said he’s confident in Wakefielders’ fundraising abilities. 

La Pêche Mayor Guillaume Lamoureux confirmed that there is a plan to improve parking at the village beach near the general store, update the public washrooms located nearby and “improve access to the river,” but he added that the municipality’s public infrastructure, park and greenspaces department will be hosting public consultations this summer to get the public’s input on how to improve and develop turntable park. He said that parking would be expanded, but wouldn’t encroach on the beach area. 

“I am really looking forward to sitting down with the community and seeing what people have in mind,” said Lamoureux. “The goal is to come up with a plan for investing in that park. Clearly, there are additional needs to completely redo the bathrooms, improve parking and improve access to the river.”

A date for the municipality’s public consultation has not been set.