Brampton pays more than $24M for downtown Orangeville Railway land

The city of Brampton has purchased more than five acres of land from the Orangeville Railway Development Corporation (ORDC) for a cool $24.25 million.

The parcel of land off Nelson Street in downtown Brampton was part of the Orangeville-Brampton Railway which shut down in December.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said the sale was a “unique opportunity” for the city to purchase land in the downtown core, and the city plans to revitalize the area “by creating a vibrant and connected community where residents and businesses can thrive.”

“Working with our regional partners on establishing a larger network of active transportation connections is an exciting prospect, it speaks to the long-term sustainability of downtown Brampton and is a conversation we look forward to having over the coming months,” Brown said in a statement.

The Region of Peel is also considering acquiring the Orangeville-Brampton Railway corridor land also owned by the ORDC for purposes such as a recreational trails and utilities.

Orangeville Mayor Sandy Brown said the funds from the sale will be placed in the town’s reserves and could fund recreational uses which would be a “benefit for Brampton and area.”

The Town of Orangeville said the sale will mean annual savings of about $19,000 in property taxes on the land which were paid to Brampton.

In 2000, Orangeville purchased some 55 km of CP Rail’s Owen Sound Subdivision from Mississauga to Orangeville after CP announce med the rail line would be abandoned.

The line came to be known as the Orangeville-Brampton Railway and was used by Cando Contracting Ltd. for freight service for the industries along the line.

It also ran a tourist train until a few years ago, when GIO Railways Corporation took over as the short-line operator.