'Needed to be brought back to life': Winnipeg Beach landmark restored to former glory

A Winnipeg Beach landmark underwent a much-needed facelift to keep it chugging into the future.

An aging Canadian Pacific Railway caboose that has been displayed in the community since the early '80s got a fresh coat of paint over the weekend.

It's just the beginning of the remodel.

"There's still some work to be done on the inside, which we'll do in the spring, because we do have some plans for the caboose going forward," Winnipeg Beach's tourism, development, and community engagement manager Peter Holfeuer said in an interview.

Volunteers are pictured restoring Winnipeg Beach's caboose in an undated photo. (Peter Holfeuer/Town of Winnipeg Beach)

According to the Winnipeg Beach Historical Society, the historic wooden end cupola caboose was built in 1942. It rolled into town some 40 years later at the request of former Deputy Mayor Al McLean.

CP Rail donated the locomotive to honour the community's roots with the company, which built the town's first CP Rail station in 1903.

The donated caboose served as a visitor centre for the community until 1989.

It then sat empty for decades.

Minor work began in 2018 to refurbish it, but plans soon went off the rails again.

"COVID happened pretty much after that, and so things sort of went astray at that point," Holfeuer said.

That's when two organizations - Destination Winnipeg Beach and the Winnipeg Beach Historical Society – got the project chugging forward again.

"They recognized that this caboose needed to be brought back to life and become again the town's visitor centre, especially during the seasonal time in the summertime," Holfeuer said.

Volunteers put finishing touches on the Winnipeg Beach caboose on Sept. 28, 2024. (Peter Holfeuer/Town of Winnipeg Beach)

The caboose has since undergone upgrades, with new wood and fresh paint, administered by a retired professional painter who gave his services free of charge. Many of the materials were donated, as well, with other volunteers stepping in to help get the job done.

The plan is to finish the caboose in time for next summer and return the visitor centre back to the historical locomotive.

The new and improved landmark is a testament to the perseverance of the community, Holfeuer said.

"I think everybody recognizes the importance of tourism as an economic driver in Winnipeg Beach. This really creates a hub and a footprint, and from here, it can only get better."

-  With files from CTV's Danton Unger