Canadian Train Stations

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The railways should never have stopped using Ottawa's downtown station, but the replacement that they built is really gorgeous and has aged very well at least in terms of appearance. It is arguably Canada's best mid-century modern train station, although there's an admittedly small field of contenders that it would be up against.

The removal of rail lines from central Ottawa is a kind of bittersweet. The city did get some gorgeous canal-side parks and parkways out of it. But yes, it was quite the bad move from an urban and inter-urban transportation planning perspective. That location is precisely where a great city and capital would normally have its central railway station.

They are very slowly improving things at the Ottawa railway station to make it less isolated from the rest of the city. (It's actually not that far from downtown.)

[1overcosc]

Originally Posted by esquire

^ The railways should never have stopped using Ottawa's downtown station, but the replacement that they built is really gorgeous and has aged very well at least in terms of appearance. It is arguably Canada's best mid-century modern train station, although there's an admittedly small field of contenders that it would be up against.

I'm going to go out on a limb and argue it's one of Canada's best mid-century buildings, period.... definitely in the top five. Mid-century architecture is unfortunately one of Canada's weak spots, in that almost every example we have of it is ugly.

[jmt18325]

Originally Posted by Acajack

Yes, I like it too. The architectural idea is a gigantic railway trestle.

It gets a lot of hate in Ottawa because the station it replaced sits unused, located right downtown across from the Château Laurier and a stone's throw from Parliament.

Isn't it currently being converted into a temporary home for the Senate?

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by jmt18325

Isn't it currently being converted into a temporary home for the Senate?

Yes.

More info on restoration here.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/show...&postcount=233

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by khabibulin

Here is what became of the Regina rail station.....

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ino_Regina.jpg

Looks quite forlorn there, but turning it into a casino is actually what really saved the building. It has allowed it to be restored and very will maintained and bring it back as a bit of a destination. Along with being a Casino, there has also been a small theatre built that is attached to the building where more intimate shows (~700 seats) can be held than the ~2,000 seat Conexus Arts Centre, ~6,000 Brandt Centre, or 30K+ Mosaic Stadium would allow.

Looks a little bit nicer here:


Source: Kenton De Jong's Blog

The alternative option would have been to allow it to continue to decay after Via cancelled the route through Regina... interestingly, the main hall still has the arrivals/departures displayed as they were on the day the station closed.

The former railyard behind the building (between downtown and the Warehouse district) is also to be redeveloped over the next 10-15 years, so it could be interesting times for the area surrounding the Casino. Originally, the new Stadium was supposed to be there, but CP rail decided to hold onto more land than originally planned, and a stadium could no longer fit there.


Alternatively, Saskatoon's former main station was turned into the city's main mall:


Source: Collier's Website

And for some extra Saskatchewan flavour, the old Moose Jaw Station:


Source: Tunnels of Moose Jaw site

Replaced by this in the 1920s, though it is now a bit disused since, like Regina, no passenger trains go through Moose Jaw anymore:

Source: Pinterest

[esquire]

Originally Posted by Nathan

Alternatively, Saskatoon's former main station was turned into the city's main mall:


Source: Collier's Website

That's not the actual original train station... it's an imitation. The front of the mall was renovated in the early 90s to look like the original station.

[Nathan]

Originally Posted by esquire

That's not the actual original train station... it's an imitation. The front of the mall was renovated in the early 90s to look like the original station.

Interesting, growing up, we always knew it as the old CNR station, but it looks like it was indeed demolished in the 60s. I'm old enough to have been able to have seen it pre-reno, but for some reason, my mind can only recall the train station façade. I do appreciate that they actually redid the old façade, pulled it off quite well.


From the Sask Archival Info Network


From the Sask Archival Info Network

There's also an old CPR station in Saskatoon, now containing a restaurant amongst other things:

Wikimapia

[hipster duck]

Originally Posted by Nathan

And for some extra Saskatchewan flavour, the old Moose Jaw Station:


Source: Tunnels of Moose Jaw site

Replaced by this in the 1920s, though it is now a bit disused since, like Regina, no passenger trains go through Moose Jaw anymore:

Source: Pinterest

I liked those old Scottish baronial CPR stations. I wished they would have kept more of them, but they already began replacing them in the 1910s and 1920s.

Vancouver had one too:



The station was replaced with the current Waterfront station in 1914, but the old one was still retained for a bit of time:



But by the 1920s the old station was gone:

[J.OT13]

Gare du Palais, Ville de Québec.


https://twitter.com/VIA_Rail/status/1317863202038964225

[Rico Rommheim]

Originally Posted by hipster duck

I liked those old Scottish baronial CPR stations. I wished they would have kept more of them, but they already began replacing them in the 1910s and 1920s.

Vancouver had one too:



The station was replaced with the current Waterfront station in 1914, but the old one was still retained for a bit of time:



But by the 1920s the old station was gone:

WOW. I love waterfront station. But what a loss. Vancouver lost a lot of gems over the years.

[J.OT13]

The location is less than ideal, but man is that a beautiful example of mid-century modernism.

VIA Rail Canada
@VIA_Rail

Ottawa station is getting greener! Our flagship station for accessibility and inter-modality is now LEED® Gold-certified, demonstrating once again VIA Rail’s commitment to sustainability. http://bit.ly/385vZc6
@CaGBC





12:01 PM · Mar 2, 2021·Twitter Web App

https://twitter.com/VIA_Rail/status/1366795822508236804

[Chadillaccc]

Perhaps the most basic train station still standing in a major Canadian city. It now serves as the headquarters of the Alberta Ballet.

Canadian Northern Rail Station - Mission, Calgary


https://theroadtriphound.com/2013/03...tions-of-1913/

https://www.avenuecalgary.com/Shoppi...ss-Raven-Hehr/

[rivercity]

This former Canadian Northern station in St. Boniface in Winnipeg is still standing, although, not nearly as nice as that Calgary example^^. Built in 1913 and now the Resto Gare restaurant.
Manitoba Historical Society
Google

[J.OT13]

Ottawa has a second VIA Rail station in Barrhaven. I don't have the ridership stats on hand, but it's very respectful for the Corridor.

It opened in 2002 and is well served along the OC Transpo South Transitway (next in line for conversion to O-Train).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallow...ation_(Ontario)

[esquire]

Ottawa Union is majestic. Probably the best mid-century transportation facility in Canada.

It is heartwarming to see how nicely it is respected and preserved... it's a nice contrast with the old Winnipeg Airport which was pure 1960s elegance but by its later years was so poorly maintained and cluttered with so much crap that its beauty was hard to notice.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Ottawa has a second VIA Rail station in Barrhaven. I don't have the ridership stats on hand, but it's very respectful for the Corridor.

It opened in 2002 and is well served along the OC Transpo South Transitway (next in line for conversion to O-Train).


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallow...ation_(Ontario)

I've used that station many times. Very functional.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by esquire

Ottawa Union is majestic. Probably the best mid-century transportation facility in Canada.

It is heartwarming to see how nicely it is respected and preserved... it's a nice contrast with the old Winnipeg Airport which was pure 1960s elegance but by its later years was so poorly maintained and cluttered with so much crap that its beauty was hard to notice.

The saddest example of letting a gem to go to rot was the Prince Edward Hotel and Great Northern Train Station. My only memory of it was all the graffiti that covered the plywood over the windows.
There is now a Superstore and parking lot on the site.

[DavefromSt.Vital]

The Prince Eddie in Brandon, Manitoba was actually at Princess and 9th and has been replaced by a skateboard park. The Superstore is at Victoria and 9th.

[VANRIDERFAN]

Originally Posted by DavefromSt.Vital

The Prince Eddie in Brandon, Manitoba was actually at Princess and 9th and has been replaced by a skateboard park. The Superstore is at Victoria and 9th.

Thanks I always got that mixed up. Wasn't the old Wheat City arena on the other side of 9th, across from the Prince Eddy? Or was it where the Superstore is now?

[J.OT13]

Old Union Station in Ottawa, now the Senate of Canada Building. It operated as a railways station from 1912 to 1966, before the new station on Tremblay Road opened.

Originally Posted by zzptichka