Coming Full Circle: Imagination Station Honours St. Thomas' Railway Past and Industrial Future

Imagination Station by regional artist Briony Douglas was installed today as part of the Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park gateway signage, marking continued progress at Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park, while celebrating the City's roots and the vision that keeps us on track toward a bright future.
 
Gateway signage for the Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park was unveiled today, signaling the future of the park as a destination for industry to imagine a new phase of business, with over 1,000 acres of serviced, shovel-ready sites available. The site's forward momentum includes industrial projects underway for PowerCo and Vianode, representing investment of over $ 10 billion.
 
As Yarmouth Yards continues to attract industry, it brings new jobs and career opportunities for residents, growing demand for skilled trades and training, and spinoff opportunities for local suppliers, contractors, and small businesses across the region. 

​Yarmouth Yards is a prime location for industry looking towards their future as the site benefits from St. Thomas's position in Ontario's manufacturing corridor, connected to Highway 401 through three major interchanges just minutes away.  This central location puts Yarmouth Yards within easy reach of major centres including Toronto, Detroit, and Buffalo, with multiple border crossings, giving businesses efficient access to both Canadian and American markets.
 
The site also features a rail yard that connects St. Thomas to markets across North and South America. Combined with nearby Great Lakes port access and the St. Thomas Municipal Airport, which offers full customs and immigration services and sits less than 30 minutes from London International Airport and under two hours from Toronto Pearson, Yarmouth Yards offers businesses the full range of transportation options needed to move goods efficiently, whether by road, rail, air, or water.

Imagination Station, a 25-foot circle of toy train cars, has been incorporated into the signage for the Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park and is the first permanent public artwork by Ontario artist Briony Douglas, whose work has been widely celebrated across North America.
 
The installation sits along the Highbury corridor, a portion of the site deliberately developed as parkland, incorporating walking trails and transforming utilitarian stormwater management ponds into naturalized wildlife habitat. It blends industrial functions with park-like areas for the neighbourhood and connects multi-use trails to the city network. Unlike much industrial park construction across North America, where roads and buildings meet minimal landscaping requirements, Yarmouth Yards has been shaped into a green, welcoming corridor meant to highlight that economic growth and community space can coexist. It's a model the City plans to carry forward as the park continues to grow with a commitment to responsible, community-minded development that can go hand in hand with industrial investment.
 
The design speaks directly to that idea. Inspired by a child's wooden train set, it reflects the City's railway heritage while pointing toward the sense of possibility and big thinking that continues to shape St. Thomas's growth. Its circular shape symbolizes the endless opportunities of imagination and connection, much like the rail lines that first connected St. Thomas to the world and that continue, in a new form, to connect the city to opportunity.

"Inspired by the timeless charm of a wooden toy train, this sculpture celebrates the memories, movement, and connections that railways have created across generations. The circular composition symbolizes an endless journey, reminding us that history continues to shape the present while inspiring the future. By transforming a familiar childhood toy into a monumental public artwork, I hope this sculpture encourages people to pause, smile, share stories, and create new memories together. It is a celebration of play, community, and the enduring power of imagination." - Briony Douglas
Public art of this scale signals investment in a community's identity, giving residents a shared point of pride, and tells visitors and prospective businesses alike that this is a place that prioritizes celebrating local culture and heritage, and is actively creating opportunities for shared experience and community building.
 
"This remarkable work of art honours our community's railway heritage while celebrating the future of Yarmouth Yards Industrial Park, reflecting the innovation in manufacturing that will continue to shape this area for generations to come and marking a true gateway to available land, skilled labour, and the ideal location for industry to grow," said Sean Dyke, CEO of the St. Thomas Economic Development Corporation.
 
Mayor Joe Preston echoed that sentiment, noting the sculpture's place within a growing tradition of public art across the city.
 
"St. Thomas has become known for its incredible public art, and this newest addition is something truly special," said Mayor Joe Preston. "Briony's stunning Yarmouth Yards Gateway sign is a bold celebration of our Railway City heritage, but it's also a symbol of where we're headed, and a reminder that our future is just as exciting as our past. Yarmouth Yards represents endless possibilities for our community - a place where new businesses can grow, jobs can be created, and investment can continue to build a stronger St. Thomas. This sculpture gives people a reason to stop and take it all in."
 
For businesses considering St. Thomas as a place to grow, Yarmouth Yards offers a rare combination: available serviced land, strong transportation and rail access, a skilled and growing labour force, and a community that has shown it knows how to build industry and public space together. St. Thomas also makes it easier to get started and stay competitive. The City carries no Development Charges for industrial construction or renovation, and active support cuts through processes that often cause delays in other locations; building permits are typically issued in under five business days. Industrial property taxes in St. Thomas also compare favourably to other Ontario municipalities, translating into real annual savings for growing businesses. And with a labour shed extending across the London Economic Region, home to more than 500,000 people, businesses locating at Yarmouth Yards have access to a deep, skilled, and adaptable workforce ready to grow with them.
 
As Yarmouth Yards continues to develop, it signals what's ahead for St. Thomas: continued investment, continued opportunity, and a community that welcomes both.