Grenville-sur-la-Rouge continues to develop plans to preserve the historic railway station in Calumet.

According to Mayor Tom Arnold, architects and engineers are developing plans and projected costs to submit to the Québec Gatineau Railway, and discussions continue between the municipality and the railway.

In November 2021, council approved entering negotiations with the railway about the future of the building, which had fallen into extremely poor condition.

On January 31, 2023, Grenville-sur-la-Rouge council approved a transaction with the railway to pay for work already done during the past year in order to put a temporary cover over the station, as the existing roof was no longer reliable or stable. Arnold said the total cost of that work was about $9,000, but the railway was covering about $5,000 of the expense.

The mayor is optimistic the municipality and the railway will eventually reach an agreement on preserving the station.

“I’m hoping we’ll get something going soon,” he said.

Arnold noted there is not a lot of time left due to the poor condition of the building.

“We can’t wait forever, obviously the building is degrading,” he commented.

The Québec Gatineau Railway is a division of Genesee and Wyoming. The 450-kilometre line from Gatineau to Québec City, which crosses the southern part of Argenteuil, was part of the Canadian Pacific Railway until 1997. The Québec Gatineau Railway continues to own the Calumet station. Arnold said Grenville-sur-la-Rouge council wants the station to be saved and is doing what is within its means to ensure it is preserved.