News
March 2008
The City of Surrey completed the truck refurbishment grant with a additional cheque for $75,000. This brings the total grant to $150,000 which will allow the trucks for BCER 1225 to be completely refurbished.
The trucks have been removed from under 1225 and are off-site. Rewiring work continues on the car while the trucks are away.
November, 2007
City of Surrey - truck refurbishment grant approved.
Surrey City Council recently
approved a grant request by the FVHRS for $150,000 towards the refurbishment of
the BCER 1225 trucks. A cheque for $75,000 was presented by Councillor Judy
Higginbotham at the 2nd annual Volunteer's Appreciation Dinner. A further
$75,000 will be presented next year to complete the work. The Volunteer's
Appreciation Dinner was held at the local New York, New
York restaurant, across the street from the
FVHRS Sullivan Car barn.
This substantial grant is the latest demonstration of the ongoing support by the
City of Surrey for the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society’s plans of
restoring BCER 1225 and running it on the Surrey section of the original Fraser
Valley line for heritage tourism purposes. The FVHRS was formed in 2001 after
encouragement, and a financial kick-start from Jim Wallace (deceased), in 1996
of the Surrey Heritage Advisory Commission to undertake a feasibility study.
The Rehabilitation of BCER 1225 is 50% complete with just over 5000 hours in
volunteer time already donated by a dedicated group of skilled FVHRS members.
The rehabilitation work is being coordinated by the FVHRS vice-chair, Robert
Ashton. The goal is to have the rehabilitation complete by the end of 2009.
October, 2007
FVHRS Co-chair hosted the Morgan Owners Group Northwest at an evening showing of the Sullivan Car barn.
Last Open House for the season - well attended with over 79 rides on the speeder.
September, 2007
Province of BC Gaming awards Community Outreach/ Public education grant for 2008
BC Gaming has awarded the FVHRS $12,000 toward the 2008 Community Outreach programme.
March, 2007
Grant money to Society; Surrey Heritage Rail Demonstration Project.
FVHRS Volunteers Ron Powers and Neal Wilkie, appeared in the Surrey NOW newspaper working on BCER 1225. The associated article describes the work of the FVHRS in operating BCER 1225 on the existing interurban line that still goes though Surrey.
The article also describes the support from the City of Surrey in creating the Heritage Rail Demonstration Project to get the restored BCER 1225 car running on the line as a pilot project. Peter Holt, Director of FVHRS has been appointed as the Project Manager.
The FVHRS also received almost $14,000 from the Surrey Foundation as their part of distributing the award from a class action lawsuit. The settlement was directed to community transportation and heritage projects. The FVHRS will be using these funds towards community awareness and communication about the efforts of the society.
You can see the picture and read the whole article at: http://www.thenownewspaper.com/issues07/031107/features.html
Surrey Historical Society visit to the car barn.
12 members of the Surrey Historical Society made a site visit to the FVHRS carbarn at Sullivan March 10 to check out the progress in the rehabilitation of BCER 1225 and to view video clips from the interurban on its Chilliwack run before the line was closed to passenger service in 1950.
January, 2007
Updated web page, adds new video clips of BCER 1225 on the move in May 2004, and August 2005, at the Orange Empire Railway Museum (OERM) in California
FVHRS receives a grant from Van Tel/ Safeway Credit Union for a new LCD Data Projector to enhance presentations and the monthly Open House events.
FVHRS receives a grant from the Surrey Foundation to enhance community outreach and communications projects. This award reflects their criteria of heritage transportation and tourism, main components of our mandate. These funds will be applied to create new material, update this web site and develop/ implement a new overall communications strategy. This strategy is aimed at increasing community awareness of our Open House events and general awareness of the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway.
September, 2006.
FVHRS adds heritage art to the collections.
The FVHRS is pleased to present heritage artist G.C. (Tony) Sinclair to our members, and to provide prints, in two sizes, of his rendition of BCER 1225 at the Sullivan Station. This addition of images relating to BCER Fraser Valley line has been eagerly anticipated by the Board of directors and members of the Society.
Available in two sizes, 8 1/2" x 11" and 13" x 19" they are are reproduced on high quality acid-free 19 mil matte finish art paper. Available unframed or framed with black extruded metal and anti-glare Plexiglas. Prices range from $100 to $275 (plus regular taxes, of course..)
Please contact FVHRS chair John Sprung at chair@fvhrs.org for more information, and to place orders.
July 25, 2006
The City of Surrey, Mayor's committee on 2010 Olympics met on Monday with representatives of the Hydrogen Fuel Cell committee of the FVHRS. Chair of the Surrey committee, Councilor Linda Hepner, informed Allen Aubert, Secretary of FVHRS and chair of the Hydrogen committee, that the 2010 Olympic committee unanimously approved the FVHRS Heritage to Hydrogen project as a Surrey Olympic Legacy project.
Allen Aubert, along with 2 of the Hydrogen committee members, Director Peter Holt and FVHRS Chair John Sprung, presented the FVHRS Heritage operational plan including the potential for Hydrogen fuel cells to the 2010 Olympic committee. Allison Grigg, from Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Canada, also presented the committee with information on the Hydrogen Highway project and the Surrey links. Hydrogen & Fuel Cells Canada is a corporate member of the FVHRS.
The Hydrogen Highway will provide a connection from the USA border, through Vancouver and on to Whistler using Hydrogen power in various forms. The current link in Surrey is the BC Hydro subsidiary Powertech Labs Inc.-- a Hydrogen generator and refueling demonstration centre. More information about the Hydrogen Highway can be found at this web site.
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