Description of Historic Place

The former Canadian Pacific (CPR) Railroad Station, built in 1910, is a rectangular, one and one half storey structure with a distinctive Chateau Style design characteristic of classic CPR train stations. This dominant landmark is situated on an urban lot at the west end of Ross Street, where its horizontal silhouette demarcates Red Deer’s historic downtown core.

Heritage Value

Historical Value: The historical significance of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Station lies in its association with the establishment of a divisional point at Red Deer in 1907. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Station is historically important as the sole remaining structure of the city’s extensive railway landscape. It played an important role in the settlement and subsequent growth of Red Deer as an agricultural distribution centre from its construction in 1910 to its closure in 1985. The Canadian Pacific Railroad Station also has significant social value to the community as a principal meeting place, a reception centre for visiting dignitaries, and as the point of departure and return for troops in both World War One and World Ward Two.

Architectural Value: The Canadian Pacific Railroad Station is of architectural significance as an example of the CPR’s divisional station plan CPR X-20B. It retains most of its definitive design elements and materials, including sandstone and local brick.

Landmark Value: The Canadian Pacific Railroad Station is significant as a community landmark with a prominent location in the view plane of downtown Red Deer. It continues to influence downtown design, surrounding modern infill development, and the city’s arterial road system. Its location and orientation give it sentimental value through a memorial link with the Cenotaph on Ross Street.

Source: Red Deer and District Archives, Archivist, City of Red Deer, PO Box 5008, 4914 - 48 Avenue, Red Deer, AB T4N 3T4. (Files: Research File MG-250-5(2); Photo collections P-125-P-1-2; Red Deer Historical Walking Tours, 1990)

Character-Defining Elements

Distinctive form and massing of the Canadian Pacific Railroad Station
- Balanced composition of all elements across the entire building and uniform rhythm of structural openings including the window patterns
– The classic CPR railway design elements such as the Château Style central octagonal turret, hipped roof with large flared overhang eaves supported by wooden brackets and dormer windows
- Combination of original materials such as wood, masonry, carved sandstone, plinth, wooden brackets, and sandstone trim
- View plane and unimpeded view which preserve the station’s distinctive silhouette and its relationship with the streetscape and the scale of surrounding buildings