Via Rail renames section of track for Brockville-area train enthusiast

Michael Brantley, VIA Vice-President of Railway Operations, left, unveils the new Chelsea Siding sign, along side VIA engineer Mike Oliphant, Chelsea Cadieux, and her father Dennis Cadieux. (Nate Vandermeer/CTV News Ottawa)

If you've spent any time at the Brockville VIA station, you've probably seen Chelsea Cadieux.

Cadieux has been enthusiastically greeting VIA engineers for the past 12 years, presenting each with their favourite playing cards as they pass through town.

On Wednesday, VIA Rail gave Chelsea a special gift for her enthusiasm, renaming a section of slow speed track nearby, known as a siding, after her.

"Oh it means the world to me," Chelsea said after a small ceremony held at the end of Eleanor Street.

"It puts a big smile on everybody's face to see me every day," she added.

The site was formerly known as Stewart Siding, or Stewart Station according to the engineers.

Chelsea's father Dennis said he had no idea this was in the works until last month.

"I didn't have a clue until I got a call from (VIA Director of Railway Transportation) Doug MacKenzie, saying they wanted to do something special, and they sure blew it out of the water," Dennis said.

"She just enjoyed trains," he added. "When she was a baby we used to travel back and forth to Toronto for medical reasons and it just sort of went from there."

Chelsea lives with Sturge-Weber Syndrome, a condition that affects her cognitive abilities as well as her mobility and vision.

But that hasn't stopped her from those VIA greetings, her deck of playing cards always in hand.

"Everybody has a favourite playing card," Chelsea said. "I started out by saying 'What's your favourite playing card?' And they would either pick Queen of Hearts or Jack of Spades, or any card at all.

"From then on, I remembered what a certain engineer's favourite card was and it makes them happy when I show it to them."

VIA locomotive engineer Mike Oliphant says it's always a bright spot seeing Chelsea on the Brockville platform when he's passing through to Ottawa or Montreal.

"This is our special girl, coming into the station and seeing her there with her cards and jumping up and down," he noted. "Now having this station renamed after her is just a huge deal because we're going to be saying this out over the airwaves forever now and you'll hear it."

Oliphant was one of the many VIA employees on hand for the occasion, glad that the idea of renaming a siding after her had finally come to fruition.

"It's not just me, it's everybody," he said. "I've been a railroader a long time and I know how rare this is, so hats off to VIA Rail for doing something like this. It's quite impressive, I was blown away actually."

"It made me feel really good and I'll be thinking of you every time I come down here now, there's no escaping it," Oliphant said while hugging Chelsea.

"We aspire to positively impact communities and the lives of those around us," said VIA Vice-President of Railway Operations Michael Brankley, who helped to unveil the new sign.

Chelsea was also gifted a train ride to Montreal for two, including accommodations from the company.

"Seeing all the wonderful engineers and having a chance to talk to them, I feel really good," Chelsea added, saying she'll continue to greet all the engineers at the Brockville platform in the years ahead.

"I always give her some extra toots as we pass by," Oliphant smiled.