'Is the park still the park without the train?'

Fans of the Fort Edmonton Park iconic steam train may be waiting a few years to enjoy the ride again.

The train's fate depends onwhether city council approves more than $6.3 million to replace a dilapidated 40-year-old barn that houses it.

The train has been parked since 2017 when inspectors found the existing barn structure was unsafe for people to work in.

• Fort Edmonton Park steam train stuck in 'essentially condemned' maintenance building

Members of council's executive committee debated the funding request at a meeting on Monday and decided to send it to city council for further debate next week.

Mayor Don Iveson supports the barn replacement. He said building a new barn wouldn't affect the tax rate for property owners because the city would take the money from other budget areas.

"I think we should do it, but there seems to be some hesitation on the part of councillors," Iveson said. "I get it, I had the sticker shock, too."

Ivesonsaid the $6.3 million is the cost of keeping the train as part of the Fort Edmonton Park experience.

"I'd be interested to hear from Edmontonians: Is the park still the park without the train?"

Alleys and neighbourhoods instead

Coun. Mike Nickel said the city should use the money for other projects, like revitalizing neighbourhoods and back alleys.

"The train is a nice-to-have, it's not a need-to-have," Nickel said.

"If we don't fund this, we don't have a train for a couple of years but given these economic times, I think it's an appropriate decision."

The city would aim to have the train in its new home by October 2019 so it can do "full maintenance" on the locomotive and make sure it's ready for the Fort Edmonton Park grand re-opening.

The park is slatedto re-open with enhanced programs in 2021, including an Indigenous peoples theatre,a midway and expanded hotel.

Nickel questioned the need to have the train back up and running to coincide with the park's grand re-opening.

"If we put it off, what's the risk profile?" he asked city staff.

City manager Linda Cochranesaid if councildoesn't approve the new barn, the train won't be running.

"The fundamental aspect of Fort Edmonton Park the train will not be in operation," she said.

• $6.3M price tag for new steam train barn at Fort Edmonton Park

CouncillorsAaron Paquette and Bev Esslinger also questioned the amount it would cost and the timing of replacing the barn.

Iveson pointed out that for decades, the city wasn't paying attention to failing infrastructure. So when the barn was deemed unsafe last year, it was "more foregone than anyone thought.

"It's frustrating that it came as a surprise, but at least the inspection process found it before there was a failure of the building."