Canadian Northern Railway Train Station

Corporate body

Canadian Northern Railway Train Station

• Athabasca Train Station

1912 - Present

The Canadian Northern Railway train station in Athabasca, Alberta was built in 1912 and was the terminus of the rail line from Edmonton, Alberta. In 1914, the CNoR was heavily indebted to banks and governments, and its profitable branch lines in the prairie provinces did not generate enough revenue to cover construction costs in other areas. In 1917, the federal government effectively took control of the company and became the majority shareholder. On September 6, 1918, the directors resigned and were replaced by a government-appointed board. Subsequently, CNoR executive David Blyth Hanna and his team managed not only CNoR operations, but also the federally owned Canadian Government Railways (CGR). On December 20, 1918, as a means to simplify funding and operations, a Privy Council order directed CNoR and CGR to be managed under the name Canadian National Railway (CNR). The two railway companies would not formally merge and cease corporate existence until January 20, 1923, the date parliament passed the final act to incorporate the CNR. The Athabasca train station was in operation until 1973 when passenger travel from Edmonton ceased. The rail siding was in use until 1990. In 1973, the train station was leased by the Athabasca Senior Citizens’ Society and renovated for use as their centre. The Seniors’ Society built a new centre in 2009 and future use of the train station was discussed and imagined by several groups in Athabasca. David Murray Architect conducted a feasibility study in 2005. In 2010, the Athabasca Heritage Society (AHS) arranged a 25-year lease with the Town of Athabasca for the purpose of restoring the station to its 1912 condition and creating community space in the station for tourism and heritage interpretation. By 2021, the restoration of the interior was completed and AHS planned to finish painting the north side and landscaping the property.

Athabasca, Alberta

Current

railway depot, historical interpretation

The Athabasca Heritage Society has a 25-year lease with the Town of Athabasca to restore the 1912 CNoR train station in Athabasca, Alberta.

ATH

RAD

Draft

Partial

June 8, 2021

• English

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Northern_Railway https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canadian-national-railways

Margaret Anderson