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A
concept proposal for
Canada's only
Railway Station Heritage Resort
The replication of several regional railway
stations for overnight lodging will be a unique experience in
Canada and create economic benefits for the region
The Railway Station Heritage and Lodging Village
will be part of an overall family activity and nature park connected
to regional trails and close to visitor services featuring stations
that serve as both historic representations of the variety that once
existed in Central Alberta and economic generators that keep the
park self-sufficient. The centre-piece of the village is a railway
park similar to one that was once located in downtown Red Deer and
several stations across Western Canada.
A series of 22 to 25 stations will include lodging uses similar to
cabins and/or bed and breakfasts as well as some specialty uses such
as conference centres, gift shops and community facilities.
Smaller stations could be used for single accommodation or retail
units. Medium stations can be used for two to four accommodation
units. Larger stations can be used for multiple accommodation units,
bed and breakfast, administration, display areas and heritage
retail.
Some of the stations that may be replicated include:
- stations of the Calgary and Edmonton Railway and branchlines:
original 1891 Red Deer CPR wood combination station and freight house (similar to Innisfail, Olds, Ponoka
and first Lacombe and Red Deer stations); CPR standard #2 station at Blackfalds
(similar to Penhold and Bowden stations); CPR standard #10 station at Alix (similar to first Stettler and Camrose stations)
- stations of the Alberta Central Railway
ACR 1910 Red Deer; CPR standard #14A station at Sylvan Lake
(similar to Benalto station); CPR standard #A3 station at Rocky Mountain House
(Lochearn)
- stations of the Canadian Northern Western Railway and CNR
unique
CNR special station Red Deer;
CNoR third class station plan 29 at Sylvan Lake (similar to Eckville,
Prentiss and Donalda); CNoR third class station plan 75 at Nordegg
- stations of the
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
GTP special station Mirror; GTP Type E station Ardley (similar to Delburne,
Huxley and Bashaw)
The following seven stations were built by Canadian Pacific for
the Calgary and Edmonton Railway between 1890 and 1892 using a
similar design. None survived but one has been replicated in
Edmonton:
 first Red
Deer C&E/CPR 1891 to 1910 (used as freight
shed, demolished 1965); replaced by newer station CPR 1910-1990
which has been restored
downtown Red Deer
Innisfail
C&E/CPR 1890-1961 (demolished)
Olds (Siding 6) C&E/CPR 1890-1962 (demolished)
Carstairs C&E/CPR 1891 (demolished)
first Lacombe (Siding 12) C&E/CPR 1892-1912 (exploded and
replaced)
Ponoka (Siding 14) C&E/CPR 1892 (demolished)
first Wetaskiwin (Siding 16) C&E/CPR 1891-1908 (demolished
and replaced)
Other stations that could be represented include:
 Red
Deer CNR 1920-1960 (demolished due to relocation and development
of shopping mall)
Sylvan Lake CNWR/CNR (demolished)
Penhold CPR 1904
(demolished); replicated as office building
Bowden CPR 1904-1968 (relocated to Innisfail Historical
Village 1974)
Red Deer ACR 1911 (built but never used as station, moved at
least twice and still used as residence)
Sylvan Lake ACR/CPR (demolished)
Mintlaw ACR 1912 small station (demolished)
Benalto
ACR/CPR relocated twice as private residence to locations near
Red Deer
Ardley GTP/CNR relocated to farm outside of community
Delburne GTP/CNR (relocated to Anthony Henday Museum
Delburne)
Alix GTP/CNR (demolished)
Alix CPR (demolished)
 Lacombe
(siding 12) CPR 1911-1978 (demolished); replicated as office
building
Joffre CNWR/CNR (demolished)
Mirror GTP/CNR division point (demolished)
 Rocky
Mountain House ACR/CPR/CNR 1914 Lochearn station shared with
Canadian Pacific; (demolished)
Nordegg/Brazeau CNWR 1914-1955 (demolished)
Eckville CNWR/CNR (demolished)
Eckville ACR/CPR (demolished)
Trochu GTP/CNR (demolished)
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