This week’s look back at Cochrane’s history is in line with its designation as “the Rail Town”.
In February, 1998, Ontario Northland was trying to boost ridership on the Northlander passenger train. It had fallen by 20%.
Public library archivist Ardis Proulx-Chedore reads from a report in the Cochrane Times, quoting ONR public relations rep Judy Cardoni.
“’There are several factors to consider,’ she said. ‘The Christmas and New Year’s season travel patterns are untypical and in January people don’t travel much. It’s not really reflective of the potential.’”
For a few months previous to that, Ontario Northland had been conducting marketing efforts towards increasing ridership.
“’We’ve changed the schedules so people have more time in Toronto to do what they have to do before returning home,’” Proulx-Chedore again quotes Cardoni.
Also on the front page of the Times that week, a parking spot in front of Canadian Tire and one in front of Giant Tiger on Sixth Ave. were designated for handicapped parking. Users still had to plug the meters.
And a photo showed some girls from a local Katimavik group doing something almost uniquely Cochrane. They were taking a polar bear dip.
The place to go for local history is the Cochrane Public Library’s archives department.
