On Monday, October 27, North Glengarry council unanimously voted to designate the Alexandria Train Station as a heritage building. Council is also exploring the heritage status of the Glengarry County Archives in collaboration with its co-owners, the Township of South Glengarry.
North Glengarry Director of Community Services Stephanie MacRae said the township received no objections to the Alexandria Train Station’s heritage designation and could proceed with the process.
MacRae added that the Alexandria Train Station already holds a federal heritage designation. The next steps include notifying the property owner of the confirmed by-law, publishing the designation on the township’s website, and informing the Ontario Heritage Trust of council’s decision.
According to the report to council, the one-and-a-half-storey, brick-clad Alexandria Train Station was built during World War One and reflects the economical use of scarce materials during wartime constraints. The station also features Flemish cross-bond brickwork, original wood detailing, decorative rafter ends, and paired brackets—all characteristic of early 20th-century railway architecture.
The second proposed heritage designation concerns the Glengarry County Archives building, which was jointly purchased by North and South Glengarry in 2019.
However, North Glengarry council deferred the designation after learning that South Glengarry council had unanimously opposed it at its October 14 meeting, citing a lack of information.
South Glengarry Councillor Sam McDonell said there was “little-to-no advantage to having the building designated,” arguing that maintenance and compliance with the provincial and federal obligations would be costly. He added that insurance, repair, and reconstruction costs for heritage buildings are often “astronomical.”
South Glengarry Councillors Stephanie Jaworski and Trevor Bougie shared McDonell’s concerns, saying the information provided by North Glengarry was too vague about where and how the designation would apply.
South Glengarry council unanimously passed a resolution opposing the heritage designation and informed North Glengarry of its decision.
South Glengarry’s Deputy Mayor Martin Lang was absent from the vote.
MacRae said township staff are working “proactively, aiming to have a delegation present their findings to South Glengarry council to hopefully address their concerns and clarify the designation process.”
North Glengarry council will receive an update on this process at the next council meeting.
