SAMPLE OF A JOINT PROJECT DONE FOR VIA MAGAZINE:

Thanks to local 837 of the Labourer's International Union of North America (LIUNA), the CN train station in Hamilton has been renovated. This is part of a long range plan they have to help rejuvenate the downtown core of the city.

The train station was first opened in 1930 and was a gateway for thousands of people coming into Canada. Immigrants would disembark from ships in Halifax and take the train to Hamilton where many of them made their homes. With the decline in rail travel, the station closed in 1984. It was recently purchased by the union and its commercial offshoot LIUNA Gardens which operates banquet facilities on the shore of Lake Ontario in nearby Winona. The official re-opening of the station was in May of 2000.

In renovating the building, executive manager Ricardo Persi said that as much of the building as possible was kept. The marble pilars, three skylights and original chandeliers in the foyer have all been restored. Persi described the two chandeliers as being priceless. The grand concourse has been turned into a banquet hall seating 800 people. There is also a smaller banquet hall on the same level for an additional 130 people.

The mezzanine level provides services for union members and retirees. A centre has been installed for hands on training for construction tasks so that union members can upgrade their skills. In addition, there is a lounge with espresso machines, pool tables, card tables and TVs where their pensioners can relax and reminisce. The second floor has 16,000 sq. ft. of commercial space which was entirely rented out months before the renovations were complete.

Even the old Express Building has been converted. This is a large complex off to the side of the station that originally housed the maintenance and machine shops, luggage storage and offices for the conductors. It has14,000 sq. ft. of commercial office space and was close to being completely rented prior to the opening.

In order to attract people, the union is providing free parking. "Hamiltonians", Persi said, "hate to pay for parking". The landscaped area in front of the station is being called Immigrant Square. In addition to the fountain there will be a monument to those who came through the station to settle in Canada. It will depict a family arriving in Hamilton. A wall is being built and people who can show that they or their families came through the station as immigrants will be able to buy a plaque and place it on the wall to commemorate that fact.

Just south of the station is the James St. North community of ethnic shops and Portuguese and Indian restaurants. The traffic generated by the station should make this into a more vibrant area. In fact, LIUNA is leading the way in trying to stimulate the downtown. "We are a few steps behind U.S.cities in improving our downtown but we are getting there". Perssi said.

LIUNA has purchased the old Royal Connaught Hotel to restore to its original grandeur, an historic but decrepit abandoned office building which will be modernized and a contaminated lot which they will clean up so they can build a nursing home

From our article on the station from VIA Magazine, the Onboard Magazine for VIA Rail

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