|
Railway
stations were once the
focal point of Western Canadian communities
 The railway station was the gateway and
heart of most Western Canadian communities for at least 60 years.
For immigrants, settlers, visitors, merchants, manufacturers and
farmers, the railway station was the focal point of the community.
Mail, news, communication and goods were exchanged there. Although
Canadian Pacific experienced a virtual monopoly on rail service for
25 years, two other major railways provided competition until the
two were amalgamated after ten years of intense railway expansion.
 Some communities in Central Alberta had railway stations for more
than one railway. Those communities included Red Deer, Sylvan Lake, Eckville, Stettler,
Camrose and Alix. The station at Rocky Mountain House was shared by
two railroads. Although each community has unique characteristics as
does the region as a whole, in many ways Central Alberta represents
the settlement, development and character of Western Canada.
Stations in Central Alberta by railroad included:
Canadian Pacific
Stations along the
Calgary & Edmonton Railway
(mainline between Calgary and Edmonton built
1890-91; still active)
 Red Deer Subdivision south of Red Deer
Red
Deer (division point 1908 to present) original
wood combination station built in
1891 (similar to Innisfail, Olds, Ponoka, first Lacombe
and first Wetaskiwin stations); moved south for construction of new station and
converted to
freight house; demolished 1965;
 new brick station (126'x36') completed in 1910;
expanded 1911; major
renovation 1969; passenger service ended 1985; closed 1991
with rail yard relocation to west side of city; station restored
1996, designated historic site and used for offices; railyard land
redeveloped for commercial and residential
Penhold built 1904 (CPR Standard #2
similar to Bowden and Blackfalds stations); renovated 1941; demolished; replicated as office building
a few blocks from original site
 Innisfail
built 1890
(similar to Olds and Ponoka stations) closed 1961; demolished; replaced by cinder block station
further north
Bowden built 1904 (CPR Standard #2 similar to Penhold and
Blackfalds stations); closed 1968; relocated to Historical
Village Innisfail 1974
Olds built 1891 (wood combination station similar to Innisfail,
Carstairs, Ponoka and first Red Deer, Lacombe, Wetaskiwin stations),
addition 1913; closed 1962;
demolished; replaced by cinder block station
Didsbury built 1904; addition 1907; retired 1977; turned 180 degrees & restored 1991;
provincial historic site; community use
Carstairs built 1891 (wood combination station); demolished
1978
Crossfield built 1904 (CPR Standard #2 similar to Bowden
station) destroyed by fire; replaced 1933 with CPR Standard #4
station; retired; removed 1974 private residence
Airdrie built 1890 (wood combination station); removed
 Leduc
Subdivision north of Red Deer
Blackfalds built 1904 (CPR Standard #2 similar to Bowden and
Penhold stations); sold 1968; demolished
Lacombe original wooden combination station built 1892
(similar to Ponoka, Innisfail and Olds and first Red Deer and
Wetaskiwin stations); addition 1910; damaged by explosion 1911 (1
person killed); special woodframe station built 1911; opened late
1911 before completion in early 1912; closed 1968; demolished 1978; replicated as office
building 2007 on opposite side of tracks
 Ponoka built 1891 (similar to Innisfail and Olds stations and
first Red Deer, Lacombe and Wetaskiwin stations); demolished
Hobbema first station portable; new station built 1928 (CPR
Standard #14A similar to Sylvan Lake, Benalto, Bentley and Stettler
stations); sold 1968
Wetaskiwin original wooden combination station built 1891
(similar to Ponoka, Innisfail and Olds station and first Lacombe and
Red Deer stations); new station built 1907-08; addition 1913; still
onsite; scaled down replication built at Alberta
Central Railway Museum southeast of city
Canadian Pacific Stations along the former Alberta Central
Railway west of Red Deer (Alberta Central Subdivision)
(line built 1910-14; closed 1981)
 Red Deer built 1911 never used as station; relocated twice as
private residence; now west of Red Deer
Mintlaw small station demolished or removed
Sylvan Lake original portable replaced by CPR Standard #14A
in 1924 (similar to Benalto, Hobbema, Bentley and Stettler
stations); sold 1969
Benalto
original portable replaced by CPR Standard #14A in 1928 (similar
to Sylvan Lake station); sold 1970;
relocated twice as private residence to locations near Red Deer
Eckville portable demolished or removed
Condor portable demolished or removed
Alhambra portable demolished or removed
Rocky Mountain House (Lochearn) original station replaced by CPR
Standard A3 station in 1920 in downtown Rocky Mountain House; shared
with Canadian National; closed and sold; destroyed by fire 1967
Canadian Pacific Stations along the Lacombe Subdivision
east of Lacombe
(line built 1905-06; used frequently Red Deer to Joffre area and occasionally to Stettler)
Clive built 1912 (CPR Standard A2 Western); sold 1968
 Tees built around 1905; relocated to Paskapoo Park in Rimbey
Alix built 1910 (CPR Standard #10); demolished 1958
Stettler original built 1905 (CPR Standard #10)destroyed by
fire 1925; new station built 1925 (CPR Standard #14A similar to
Sylvan Lake, Benalto, Bentley and Hobbema stations); retired 1968; demolished
 Canadian Pacific Stations along the
former Lacombe & Blindman Valley Railway (later renamed
Lacombe and Northwestern Railway and later Hoadley subdivision)
west of Lacombe (built 1917-19; used occasionally)
Aspen Beach/Gull Lake portable 1917; replaced by CPR Standard
#5, demolished
Bentley portable 1917; new station built 1929 (CPR Standard #14A
similar to Sylvan Lake, Benalto, Hobbema and Stettler stations);
retired 1968; demolished
Rimbey portable 1920; removed
Canadian Pacific Stations along the
Wetaskiwin Subdivision east of Wetaskiwin
(line built 1905; Winnipeg to Edmonton line still active)
Bittern Lake built 1911 (CPR Standard A2 Western); sold
1961; demolished
Camrose original station built 1907 (CPR Standard #10 similar to
1st Stettler station); replaced 1956 with masonry special station;
removed; demolished
Canadian Pacific Stations along the
Acme Subdivision northeast of Calgary
(branchline built 1930 from Acme; abandoned)
Wimborne portable 1930; sold 1969
Torrington built 1930 (CPR Standard #14A similar to Sylvan
Lake, Benalto, Stettler); sold 1969; demolished
Acme built 1910 (CPR Standard A3 similar to Rocky Mountain
House); sold 1969
 Canadian National Stations along the
former Canadian Northern
Western Railway (Brazeau subdivision) Mirror-Red Deer-Rocky
Mountain House-Nordegg
(line still active from Mirror to Rocky Mountain House and Ram
River)
Red Deer built 1923 (replacing temporary station) as a
modified one-of-a-kind Canadian National
Railways third class station similar to but significantly different
than the Canadian Northern third class stations; last passenger
service 1955; closed and demolished 1960 with yards relocated to
north side of river and land redeveloped for
Co-op Shopping Centre
Brazeau subdivision west
of Red Deer:
Briggs built 1919 Freight and passenger shelter
Sylvan Lake built 1913 (CNor 3rd class); demolished or removed
Elspeth built 1913 (CNor 3rd class); demolished
Eckville built 1912 (CNor 3rd class); demolished or removed
Leslieville built 1912 (CNor
3rd class); stucco applied 1945; demolished or removed
Rocky Mountain House Lochearn station built by and shared
with Canadian Pacific as a CPR Standard A3 in 1920; destroyed by
fire
Brazeau subdivision west of
Rocky Mountain House (abandoned 1955)
Horberg built 1918 Freight and passenger shelter; closed
1955; removed 1959
Saunders built 1918 Freight and passenger shelter; closed
1955; removed 1959
Alexo/Stolberg built 1924 Freight and passenger shelter
Nordegg/Brazeau built 1914 (CNor 3rd class); stuccoed 1945; closed 1955;
sold 1962; demolished
or removed
Brazeau subdivision east of Red Deer to Alix Jct.:
Burbank built 1915 Freight and passenger
shelter; relocated 1959
Prentiss built 1912 (CNor 3rd class) demolished or removed
Joffre built 1916 Freight and passenger shelter; destroyed by
fire 1961
Haynes built 1913 (CNor 3rd class); sold 1963; demolished or removed
Endiang subdivision (originally part of Brazeau sub) east
of Alix to Warden
Alix built 1912 (CNor 3rd class); abandoned 1922 after
creation of Canadian National and change of crew from Big Valley to
Mirror; relocated to GTP site for Three Hills sub station in 1927;
demolished 1975
Nevis built 1912 (CNor 3rd class); sold 1962
Warden Jct. (on Stettler sub) built 1915 (CNor 4th class);
destroyed by fire 1919; replaced by CNor 3rd class station 1919;
stuccoed 1942; sold and demolished 1984
Canadian National Stations along the former Grand Trunk Pacific
Railway
Three Hills subdivision south of Mirror (mainline between Calgary
and Edmonton still active)
 Mirror
(division point) built 1911 (GTP Design 'E'); stucco applied
1944; destroyed by fire 1975
Alix built 1911 (GTP Type E); converted to section house
1927; CNor 3rd class station relocated to site 1927 - demolished
1975
Ardley built 1911 (GTP Type E); stucco applied 1936; closed
1965; purchased for $30 and relocated 1967 to farm outside of community
Delburne built 1912 (GTP Type E); stucco applied 1922; relocated a few blocks
in 1978 to Anthony Henday Museum
Lousana built 1912 (GTP Type E); retired 1959; demolished or
removed
Elnora built 1911 (GTP Type E); stucco applied 1922;
demolished 1975
Huxley built 1913 (GTP Type E); stucco applied 1922;
demolished 1976
Trochu built 1912 (GTP Type E); replaced 1959
Three Hills built 1912 (GTP Type E); replaced 1919 (GTP Type
F stucco); relocated a few blocks to Kneehill Historical Museum
Swalwell
Grainger
Bircham (GTP Type E) built 1912
Beiseker (GTP Type E) built 1913
Irricana (GTP Type E) built 1911
(Over 350 stations in the Class E category were built in Western
Canada)
Canadian National Stations along the former
Canadian Northern
Alberta Midland Railway south and north of Stettler
(line abandoned but portion between Stettler and Big Valley used by Alberta
Prairie Steam Tours)
 Big Valley (division point 1914-1923) built 1912
(CNor Second
class); closed 1967; restored as historic site and terminus of Alberta Prairie
Steam Tours
Warden built 1919 (CNor 3rd class); stucco applied 1942; demolished 1984
Stettler built 1911 (CNor Second class); relocated a few blocks to Town & Country
Museum Stettler
Red Willow built 1910 (CNor 3rd class); demolished 1984
 Donalda built 1911 (CNor 3rd class); stucco applied 1937; demolished;
CNor 4th class 1909 station
relocated to site from Vandura Saskatchewan and restored
Meeting Creek built 1913 (CNor 3rd class); stucco applied
1937; closed 1981; restored
1987
Edberg built 1910 (CNor 3rd class); sold 1983
Camrose built 1911
(CNor 3rd class); stucco applied 1937; closed 1988; restored 1993;
used as museum and headquarters for CNor Historical Society
Canadian Northern Stettler subdivision south of Big Valley
Scollard
Rumsey
Rowley
Morrin
More information to come . . .
|
