Description of Historic Place

The Canadian Pacific Railway Station at White River is a brick-clad railway station comprised of two adjoined parts: a two-storey Telegraph Building built in 1926-7 and expanded in 1930; and a one-storey International-style passenger facility built in 1957. The station is located in White River. The formal recognition is confined to the railway station building itself.

Heritage Value

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Station at White River reflects the close ties between railway companies and the towns they created and sustained. From the establishment of the town in 1885 through the construction of the present station in 1926-27, its 1930 addition, and its expansion in 1957, the station has mirrored the fortunes of the town.

Both the 1926-7 Telegraph Building, reminiscent of traditional railway design traditions, and the International-style passenger facility were designed by the CPR Chief Engineer’s office in Montreal. Each reflects the design idioms of its time, as well as the changing corporate approaches to design.

The station retains its relationship with the railway track and the longstanding commercial and social facilities along Winnipeg Street. The station is valued by the community as its most historic structure.

Sources: Heritage Character Statement, Canadian Pacific Railway Station, White River, Ontario, September 1995; Margaret Carter and Jennifer Mueller, Heritage Research Associates Inc., Railway Station Report 253, Canadian Pacific Railway Station, White River, Ontario.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the Canadian Pacific Railway Station at White River include:

-the form and massing of the Telegraph Building, consisting of: a two-storey, symmetrical brick structure with a recessed hip roof covered with metal shingles and rolled ridges
-the form and massing of the 1957 wing: a modern streamlined building consisting of a long, low one-storey brick structure with a flat tar-and-gravel roof
-the narrow two-storey flat roof structure which provides a physical transition between the two parts of the building
-the contrast between the two sections of the building, evident in their fenestration and exterior materials
-the fenestration of the Telegraph Building, including: the symmetrical arrangement of openings; a central, wood, double door with transom; and three-over-one wood sash windows
-the fenestration of the 1957 wing, including: irregularly spaced apertures and a strong horizontal emphasis
-the configuration, profile and materials of surviving early windows and doors
-exterior materials on the Telegraph Building, including: red-brick courses as window surrounds, at the base of the building, and at window sills and heads; contrasting brick diamonds between upper storey windows; and double wood brackets at the eave line
-exterior materials on the 1957 wing that emphasize the linearity of the design, including: corrugated red brick walls; a concrete base; and a thin but strong canopy line
-the prominent silhouette signage spelling out “WHITE RIVER” on the track and west side elevations of the canopy
-surviving aspects of its interior plan which convey the building’s original functions
-surviving interior finishes in the 1957 wing, including: plain plaster walls; exposed concrete block walls; acoustic ceiling tiles; simple wood trims around openings; fluorescent strip lighting; and pendant lighting fixtures in the original lunchroom