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Canadian Pacific Railway Stations
built in Central Alberta
Usually, when a new rail line was built, the railway placed a
temporary (sometimes a boxcar) or portable station at a location
until it was determined what kind of station would be appropriate.
Sometimes the 'temporary' station was in place for several years.
The following are some of the 'permanent' stations built by the CPR
in Central Alberta. In many cases, the 'permanent' station was
replaced by a larger one if the railway or the community had special
significance and usually they were 2 storeys.
Wood Combination Station and Freight House
(1890-1892)
 Red
Deer (C & E Railway
arrived 1890) built in
1892 to replace small temporary station; when it was replaced by a new brick
station
(see below) in 1910 after Red Deer became a division point in 1908, it
was moved south of
the new station and converted to
a freight house; demolished 1965
 Innisfail
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1890; relocated from west side of tracks to east side in
1900s; closed 1961; demolished; replaced by cinder block station
further north
(see below)
Olds (C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1891 to replace temporary station; addition 1913; closed 1962;
demolished; replaced by cinder block station
(see below)
Lacombe (C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1892 to replace a boxcar that had been used as
a station; addition 1910; partially destroyed by explosion October
1911 (1 person killed); new 'special' station
(see below) built 1911 prior to explosion
and opened three weeks later due to importance as the terminal of
the Stettler subdivision
 Ponoka
(C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1891; demolished
Wetaskiwin (C & E Railway arrived
1891) built 1891; replaced by new station
(see below)
in 1908 due to importance as the connecting point with Camrose
subdivision which was part of the 2nd main line between Edmonton and
Winnipeg; demolished
Carstairs (C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1891; demolished 1978
Other similar stations were built in Alberta at Airdrie, Leduc,
Strathcona (South Edmonton) on the C & E and High River, Claresholm,
Okotoks, Nanton, De Winton, Langdon, Morley. These stations were
primarily built on railway lines that were influenced by McKenzie
and Mann prior to their founding of the Canadian Northern Railway.
A total of 18 stations of this type were built in Alberta (all on
the Calgary and Edmonton Railway between Edmonton and Fort McLeod,
later absorbed by CPR), another
18 in Saskatchewan (built on the Qu'Appelle, Long Lake &
Saskatchewan Railway, later absorbed by CNR), and 15 in Manitoba. No stations of this type
were built after 1906.
This station was typically 44'x26' with 2 waiting rooms and office, plus
a living room and a lean-to kitchen on the back side on the main
floor and 3 bedrooms upstairs for the station agent's family. There
were several variations on the interior layout. The freight house
was typically 30' added on one side or the other but was often
larger or smaller.
A replica of this type is located in South Edmonton (Strathcona).
CPR Standard Portable Station (1902-1931)
About 400 of these small stations were built in Western Canada and,
in many communities, the 'portable' station was the only one they
ever had. Some portables replaced even smaller temporary stations.
Many portables were replaced by larger stations and were repurposed
for a variety of uses including freight houses or bunk houses. Some
portable stations were moved from place to place and occasionally
replaced larger stations when they were no longer needed.
 Hobbema
(C & E Railway arrived 1891)
likely built around 1902, sold and removed (relocated to ACR Museum
near Wetaskiwin), replaced 1927 with Standard #14A station, sold and
removed
Millet (C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1902, replaced 1907 with Standard #5 station
Ellerslie (C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1918, removed 1929, relocated to Sedgewick
Nisku (C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1929, demolished
Tees (Lacombe subdivision arrived 1905)
built 1905, sold and removed, relocated to Rimbey Paskapoo Park
Hardisty (Wetaskiwin subdivision
arrived 1905) built 1910, replaced 1910 with
Branchline Subdivision depot
Gwynne (Wetaskiwin subdivision arrived
1905) built 1912, demolished
Lochearn (Rocky Mountain House)
(Alberta Central Railway arrived 1914) built
1914, shared with Canadian Northern Western Railway, replaced 1920
with CPR Standard #3A station
Condor (Alberta Central Railway arrived
1914) built 1923 replacing small temporary
station, demolished 1963
Alhambra (Alberta Central Railway
arrived 1914) built 1931 replacing small
temporary station, sold and removed 1960
Rimbey
(Lacombe & Blindman Electric
Railway arrived 1920) built 1920; demolished
Bluffton (Lacombe & Blindman Valley
Electric Railway arrived 1921) built 1929,
demolished 1968
Breton (Lacombe & Blindman Valley
Electric Railway arrived 1921) built 1930, replaced 1942
with Standard #4A station
Wimborne (Acme subdivision arrived 1930)
built 1930, sold and removed 1969
At least 100 of these stations were built in Alberta. Almost 300
were built in Saskatchewan and under 30 were built in Manitoba and
British Columbia.
At least two of this type have survived in Central Alberta, the
Hobbema station at the ACR Museum near Wetaskiwin and the Tees
station at Paskapoo Park at Rimbey.
CPR
Standard #2 Station (1904)
Penhold
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1904 to replace small temporary station;
renovated 1941; demolished; replicated as office building
a few blocks from original site
Bowden
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1904 to replace small temporary station;
relocated from west side of tracks to east side in 1920s; closed 1968; relocated to Historical
Village Innisfail 1974 for use as museum; currently houses
historical model rail exhibit
Blackfalds
(C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1904 to replace small temporary station; sold
1968; demolished
Crossfield
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1904 to replace small temporary station;
destroyed by fire 1933; replaced by standard #4A
(see below)
These were the only 4
built in Alberta. In Saskatchewan, 16 of this type were built but
only 1 in Manitoba. The Bowden station has survived but moved to
Innisfail and the Penhold station has been replicated.
This station was typically 87'x24' including 40' freight house with
waiting room, office and baggage/express, plus living room and
kitchen on the main floor and 3 bedrooms upstairs for the station
agent's family.
CPR Pratt Station House Didsbury (1904)
Didsbury
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1904 to replace small temporary station;
addition 1907; retired 1977; donated to town 1991, turned 180 degrees & restored;
provincial historic site; community use
Similar stations were built in Alberta at Bassano and Cochrane. A
total of 4 were built in Alberta, 2 in Saskatchewan and 11 in
Manitoba.
CPR Standard #4/#4A Station (1903-1951)
Crossfield
(C & E Railway arrived 1890)
built 1933 to replace a Standard #2 station that had been destroyed
by fire; retired; removed in 1974, used as private residence
Typically, this one-storey #4A station contained a waiting room,
office, express room, and freight room. A similar station was built
at McLennan the same year and two others were built in 1942 at
Breton and Pearce. Earlier versions with living quarters, referred
to as CPR Standard #4, were built in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
CPR Standard #10/#5 Station (1905-1910)
The Standard #5 was a smaller version of the #10.
Stettler
(Lacombe subdivision arrived 1905)
built 1905
likely as a #10. The station gained further importance with the
arrival in Stettler of the Canadian Northern in 1911; station
destroyed by fire 1925; new A2 Western station
(see below)
built 1925
Camrose (Sparling)
(Wetaskiwin subdivision arrived 1905)
built 1907 likely as a #10 to replace small temporary station.
The town gained further importance with the arrival of Canadian
Northern in 1909 and Grand Trunk Pacific in 1911; replaced in 1956 with
masonry special station
(see below)
 Alix
(Lacombe subdivision arrived 1905)
built 1910 likely as a #5 to replace small temporary station. The
station had some importance as a junction with the north-south Grand
Trunk Pacific when it crossed the CP at grade in 1912; demolished
1958
Gull Lake/Aspen Beach
(Hoadley subdivision, originally Lacombe and
Blindman Valley Electric Railway arrived 1917)
#5 built to replace portable station; demolished
Similar stations (some smaller Standard #5) were built in Alberta at
Millet, Botha, Gadsby, Halkirk,
Castor, Ervick, Acme, Daysland, Exshaw, Irricana, Provost,
Brooks, Taber, Vulcan and several others. One of the most common
station types, a total of 51 were built in Alberta, 81 in
Saskatchewan and 10 in Manitoba.
This station was typically 50'x22' (Standard #5) to 73'x22' (Standard
#10). The larger #10 version usually had an express room and baggage
room in addition to a larger general waiting room, ladies waiting
room, office and freight house (which in itself varied in size). It
also had four rooms on second floor for either station agent or
train crews.
There is no indication that any of this station type survived in
Central Alberta.
Wetaskiwin Special WF (woodframe)
Station (1907)
(C&E/CPR Leduc/Wetaskiwin subdivisions)
New station built 1907-08 to replace
combination station; addition 1913; still onsite; scaled down replication
built at Alberta
Central Railway Museum southeast of city
Other Special WF (Woodframe) stations with various designs were built in Alberta
 Red
Deer Special L Station (1910)
(C&E/CPR Red Deer/Leduc subdivisions)
New brick station (foundation 112'x32', roofline 126'x36', large
waiting room ceiling 14', baggage room, express office, ticket
office, washrooms on main floor and train crew apartments on upper
floor) completed in 1910 at head of Ross Street to replace
combination station to the north;
expanded 20' 1911; major renovation 1969; passenger service ended 1985;
closed 1991 with rail yard relocation to west side of city;
The Red Deer station was restored 1996, designated historic site and used for
offices; former CPR railyard redeveloped for commercial, residential
and major roadway use.
A similar station was built at Lethbridge.
CPR Branchline Subdivision Depot
(1909-1911)
Hardisty
(Hardisty/Wetaskiwin subdivisions)
built 1910 replacing a portable station erected earlier the same
year
Coronation
(Coronation/Lacombe subdivisions)
built 1911, shared with Canadian Northern Railway which had running
rights from Alliance to Youngstown, demolished 1988
These were the only two of this type built in Alberta. Six were
built in Saskatchewan between 1908 and 1913. The stations were
typically 114'x26' with no agent accommodation or freight house but
did have an express room and baggage room.
Alberta Central Railway Stations
(1911-1914)
 Red Deer
(ACR launched 1910)
built 1911 in new yard, never used as station; relocated twice as
private residence; now west of Red Deer
Mintlaw
(ACR arrived 1912)
built 1912 small permanent station later removed, demolished
Cygnet (ACR arrived 1912)
built 1912 small temporary station later removed, demolished
Sylvan Lake
(ACR arrived 1912)
built 1912 small temporary station replaced
in 1924 by Standard #14A station (see below)
Benalto
(ACR arrived 1913)
built 1913 small temporary station replaced
in 1928 by Standard #14A station
(see below)
Eckville
(Kootuk & Crawshaw
stations 1.5 miles apart
on each side of Medicine River valley no longer exist)
(ACR arrived 1913)
built 1914 small temporary stations, later
removed, demolished
Hespero
(ACR arrived 1913)
built 1914 small temporary station later
removed, demolished
Condor
(ACR arrived 1914)
built 1914 small temporary station, replaced
by portable station 1923,
removed, demolished
Alhambra
(ACR arrived 1914)
built 1914 small temporary station, replaced by portable station
1931, sold and removed
Rocky Mountain House
(ACR arrived 1914)
built 1914 small temporary portable station replaced
in 1920 by Standard A3 station
(see below)
CPR
Standard A3 (1910-1920)
Rocky Mountain House (Lochearn)
(Alberta Central subdivision) built 1920 to
replace temporary station; shared with Canadian National; sold;
destroyed by fire 1967
Similar stations were built in Alberta at Vegreville, Carbon,
Cardston, Clandonald, Myrnam, Lloydminster
A total of 11 were built in Alberta, 36 in Saskatchewan and 25 in
Manitoba
 Lacombe
Special WF Station (1911)
(C&E/CPR Leduc/Lacombe subdivisions)
New special woodframe station built 1911
to replace combination station damaged by an explosion; closed
1968; demolished 1978; replicated as office
building on opposite side of tracks 2007
CPR Standard A2 Western (1911-1912)
Leduc (C & E Railway arrived 1891)
built 1914 to replace wood combination station and freight house,
demolished 1985
Bittern Lake (Wetaskiwin subdivision
arrived 1905)
built 1911 to replace small temporary station;
sold 1961; demolished
Clive (Lacombe subdivision arrived
1905) built 1912 to replace small temporary
station; sold 1968
Similar stations were built in Alberta at Erskine, Nevis, Castor, Beiseker, Consort, Midnapore,
Veteran and several others. A total of 57 of this type were built in Alberta, 121 in Saskatchewan
and 19 in Manitoba
Lacombe & Blindman Valley Stations
(1917-1920)
Aspen Beach/Gull Lake portable 1917; replaced by CPR Standard
#5, demolished
Bentley portable 1917 replaced in 1929
with CPR Standard #14A (see below)
Rimbey portable 1920; removed
CPR Standard #14A (1924-1930)
Sylvan Lake (Alberta Central subdivision)
built 1924 to replace small temporary station;
sold 1969
Hobbema (C&E/CPR Leduc subdivision)
built 1928 to replace small station; sold 1968
 Benalto
(Alberta Central subdivision)
built 1928 to replace small temporary station; sold
1970;
relocated twice as private residence to locations near Red Deer
Bentley (Hoadley subdivision formerly
Lacombe & Blindman Valley) built 1929 to
replace portable station; retired 1968; demolished
Stettler
(Lacombe subdivision)
built 1925 to replace Standard #10 destroyed by fire; retired 1968; demolished
Torrington (Acme subdivision)
built 1930; sold 1969; demolished
Similar stations were built in Alberta at East
Coulee and several others. A total of 32 of this type were built in Alberta, 31 in
Saskatchewan and 5 in Manitoba.
Camrose Special MC Station (1956)
(Wetaskiwin subdivision)
Masonry special station built 1956 to replace
Standard #10 station; removed and demolished
Cinder-Block Station (1961-62)
Innisfail
(C&E/CPR Red Deer subdivision)
built 1961;
removed
Olds
(C&E/CPR Red Deer subdivision)
built 1962;
no longer in use
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