Description of Historic Place

The Shellbrook C. N. Railway Station is a Municipal Heritage Property located at the southern base of Main Street in the Town of Shellbrook. The 1909, wood-frame, stucco-clad building is distinguished by its broad, overhanging eaves and hip and gable roofs.

Heritage Value

The Shellbrook C. N. Railway Station is of heritage value as one of the town’s earliest buildings, dating from late 1909. Construction of the station was commenced in the same year that Shellbrook’s townsite was established by the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) and reflects this milestone. From the time that rail service was introduced January 10, 1910, the building was the depot for passenger service, mail and freight handling, ticketing and telegram services. With the development pattern of the town emanating from the station, the building symbolizes the station’s central historic role within the community. In 1920, the CNoR was incorporated into the newly-formed Canadian National Railway system and the building became a station for the new company. Occupying its original location at the base of Shellbrook’s main street, the building has been a landmark in the community since Shellbrook was established in 1909.

The Shellbrook C.N. Railway Station is architecturally significant as an example of a CNoR Standard Third-Class Station design that was constructed in the small towns of Western Canada. Specifically, the station followed the C.No.R’s plan #100-29. Upwards of 80 stations of this plan were built in Saskatchewan between about 1907 and 1917, though only a small number survive. Characteristic of stations of this period, the building features broad overhanging eaves supported by large triangular brackets; a projecting track-side bay for better visibility of the track and platform; and large freight doors at the end of the building for the storage area. Like many stations in small towns, the building also served as the living quarters for the station agent. The second storey of the building exemplifies this function and is arranged as bedrooms. The ground floor is divided into separate rooms that functioned as additional living quarters as well as an office and waiting area for passengers. The stucco cladding of the building’s exterior was added in the second half of the 1930s as part of Canadian National’s modernization programme.

Source:

Corporation of the Town of Shellbrook Bylaw No.7-1989.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of Shellbrook C.N. Railway Station resides in the following character-defining elements:
-those exterior elements of the building related to its architecture, such as its split level one-and two-storey form, gable and hip roofs with broad open wooden eaves, exposed rafter tails and large triangular braces, stucco cladding, fenestration with nine-over-one hung-sash windows and fixed multi-pane windows, two large freight-shed doorways with multi-pane transom lights, separate doorways to the living quarters and waiting room and projecting track-side bay window;
-those interior elements the building related to its architecture, such as extant features of its layout including the staircase and arrangement of second-storey bedrooms and dividing walls between the living quarters and public areas, the large open space of the freight shed area,and the pine or fir flooring;
-those elements associated with its context and status as a community landmark, such as its original, prominent placement at the base of the town’s main street along the railway tracks, and the concrete, trackside platform.