Railway-themed mini golf course opens inside St. Thomas, Ont. mall
You can putt through a replica of the CASO Station, or play alongside Jumbo the elephant in St. Thomas’ newest attraction.
Railway 1856 Ultimate Mini-Golf is a course which winds through Elgin Centre and pays homage to the city’s railway history.
“1856 was the year the London-Port Stanley Rail first went through St. Thomas and so that's where the name came from,” explained Andrew Buttigieg, who owns the business alongside his father Joe.
“All 18 holes have kind of a railway theme to it. Whether it's the rail crossing, conductor or we have a fiberglass train as well. It's all train-related and we're really excited for people to check it out,” he added.
Much like the former course in London’s Masonville Mall, the 18 holes are not in a store front but right through the centre of the mall.
They have added extra brick and lattice fencing in hopes of preventing the balls from going astray.
Using the accessible putter, Randy Brown prepares to hit through a fiberglass train obstacle at Railway 1856 Ultimate Mini Golf at the Elgin Centre in St. Thomas, Ont. on Nov. 30, 2022. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
One of the key features to the new business, is it is accessible.
Randy Brown, who is in a wheelchair, has been testing out the holes and new bendable putters in preparation for opening weekend.
“I’ve been going through the whole thing to see if I can find any things that are a little bit more difficult and we're going to let them know,” said Brown, who plays sledge hockey for the Elgin Imperials. “I hate to say this, but they're one of the very few businesses in St. Thomas [that] have moved in here and made it accessible, and it cost them a lot of money.”
The Buttigieg family has been working towards opening the mini golf course for more than a year, and felt accessibility was a key ingredient.
With a St. Thomas, Ont. theme, one of the obstacles on the mini golf course is a replica of the historic CASO Station. (Brent Lale/CTV News London)
“At first we were just going to do maybe nine holes of accessibility but we were happy to make it all 18,” said Buttigieg. “We have putters, grabbers and of course just being able to putt aside the hole, this course is open everybody and we're really excited for that.”
This attraction is the latest in the revitalization of the mall. A new hotel is being built, and they are adding some more franchises.
“It's a great idea,” said Marty Hancox, owner of Fan of the Sport in the mall, which is located right next to the hole with the replica of Thomas the Tank Engine.
He added, “Anything that helps bring the people to the mall is awesome, and I’m looking forward to playing because it looks like a lot of fun. I think the owners have done a great job, and I think it will be huge when the hotel is done.”
A soft opening will see players on the course for the first time Thursday, with the grand opening this weekend.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Canadian couple among tourists on sinking sailing boat tour abroad
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their “extremely dangerous” experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
An Ontario senior called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.
Accused of burglary at stepmother's home, U.S. senator says she wanted her father's ashes: charges
A Minnesota state senator and former broadcast meteorologist told police that she broke into her stepmother's home because her stepmother refused to give her items of sentimental value from her late father, including his ashes, according to burglary charges filed Tuesday.
Twins from Toronto were Canada's top two female finishers at this year's Boston Marathon
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.