KRIVEL, ORIN

Died: October 30, 2019, Age 76

Orin Krivel was instrumental in making the Toronto Railway Museum happen. From 2001 to 2010 he worked closely with the City of Toronto to develop Roundhouse Park working with the City’s innovative public/private business model to drive the evolution of the Park and the Roundhouse to the successful opening of the Museum in 2010. 

Orin was the third president of the Toronto Railway Historical Association (TRHA) and it was he who was primarily responsible for shepherding museum development before and after our opening in 2010. An architect by profession, Orin was able to convince the city that the TRHA was a responsible organization to partner with in building a railway museum at the John Street Roundhouse after two decades of city officials floundering about with other less effective museum advocates.

In that period and beyond, he led a team of dozens of volunteers to get the enormous challenges addressed and many projects delivered until serious health issues forced him to relinquish the challenges to other volunteers.

Orin established positive personal relationships with the people that mattered during our development and had the vision and dedication to make the Toronto Railway Museum a reality. Without him, there would have been no museum. Orin was most recently the TRHA Chairman with a special responsibility for the creation and management of Special Projects in the areas of Museum Capital Development, Acquisitions, and Funding.

Here you will find a more formal broader biography:

Orin was born in Estevan, Saskatchewan to a family that emigrated from the United States and pioneered in the district around the turn of the 20th century. He received his primary and secondary education in Regina, Saskatchewan and his Bachelor of Architecture from the Faculty of Architecture, University of Manitoba at Winnipeg in 1967.

Orin was licensed to practice architecture and elected as member of the Alberta Association of Architects in 1969, with admission as a member of The Royal Architectural Institute of Canada the same year. His practice focused upon major commercial and institutional projects. In 1973 Orin ceased public practice and established a construction and development firm in Vancouver B.C.

He moved to Toronto in 1982 and since then has acted as consultant and project manager for developments across North America. He was of course the President of the Toronto Railway Historical l Association (TRHA) and worked tirelessly with the city of Toronto and the dozens of TRHA volunteers to develop the Toronto Railway Museum from 2001 to its successful opening in May of 2010. He was also a member of the Public Advisory Group for the Revitalization of Union Station. He had an active interest in model railroading, as well as an extensive collection of Canadian Railway artifacts, drawings, and written material.

On Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Orin passed away at his home with family by his side. Son of the late Mickey and Rose Krivel. Husband of Sue Krivel. Father of Tanya Krivel and Kevin Krivel. Uncle to special nieces and nephews.

Orin was a kind and generous man with a razor-sharp intellect, a quick wit and a love of literature and music. Our very heartfelt condolences to Orin’s wife Sue and his children Tanya and Kevin. Sue was herself an enthusiastic museum supporter and generously hosted many TRHA board meetings at their home in North York during those critical years of museum development.