The grand opening ceremony for the new Comfort Station in Petawawa was a success! On August 29, 2024, the community, town council, members of local government and town staff and more gathered at the brand new Comfort Station located at 15 Norman St. in Petawawa. Councilor Lisa Coutu started off the ceremony with reading the land acknowledgment followed by Mayor Gary Service who wanted to thank all the parties involved in creating the station and all the hard work and dedication that went into it.
The Comfort Station was designed for users on the Algonquin Trail and to bring more people into the town. Service explains why this station is important.
Local MP Cheryl Gallant and MPP John Yakabuski also gave remarks during the ceremony, congratulating the town for sticking with their plans and building the rest spot. Also, Renfrew County Warden Peter Emon shared his history with this project and explained how much former Mayor Bob Sweet contributed to this.
The guest speakers at the ceremony seemed to have a theme going on, and that was thanking Bob Sweet for all his hard work and persistence for keeping this project rolling and seeing it to the end. Sweet also got up to talk about the history of the trail and he also stated how amazed he was to see the building finally finished.
The primary purpose of this modernized train station replica is to offer accessible washrooms for residents and visitors of the Algonquin Trail. In the long term, the site will become the municipal Visitor Information Centre, offering valuable information on local events, activities, and programs. Ultimately, the entire site is set to be redeveloped into a community hub for commerce and entertainment, adding diversity, culture, and vibrancy to the region. The new Comfort Station is located next to Kiddyland Park at the end of Norman Street.
(Written by: Emma Butler)