Description of Historic Place

The Canadian National Railway Station is a two-storey wood frame building located on one lot in the Town of Vegreville's downtown. Built in 1930, the station features a stucco exterior, hip roof with bellcast eaves supported by brackets, and gable dormers.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of the Canadian National Railway Station lies in its aesthetic and architectural significance as an example of standard plan railway station design. It also possesses heritage value as an emblem of the central role of railways in opening the province to settlement and agriculture.

The Canadian National Railway Station in Vegreville is a fine example of standard railway plan architecture. Completed in 1930, it is the last extant example of a Canadian National Railway (CNR) station house constructed according to company plan 100-255. The station replaced an earlier, smaller railway facility and featured an integral freight shed and a porte cochere. The ground floor included several separate areas, including a waiting room, ticket and express office, express room, and separate men's and ladies' washrooms. The waiting room was subdivided into compartments, one serving as a ladies waiting room, and another as a smoking room. This five-part arrangement of the ground floor was a pragmatic use of the space at hand and embodied advances in railroad station design typical of the period. The construction of this impressive new station was likely occasioned by the Canadian Pacific Railway's decision to lay down a branch-line through Vegreville and the CNR's desire to remain competitive in the community.

With the gradual disappearance of early train stations from Alberta's communities, buildings like the Canadian National Railway Station in Vegreville have gained increased historic significance as structural embodiments of the essential role that the railways played in establishing settlement and agricultural economy in the province.

Source: Alberta Culture and Community Spirit, Historic Resources Management Branch (File: Des. 953)

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining elements of the Canadian National Railway Station include such features as:
- relatively large scale of the station house, reflective of its many purposes and possibly its symbolic role in the competition between the CNR and CPR;
- hip roof with gable dormers, gabled extensions, bellcast eaves and brackets, and half-timbering;
- floor plan layout according to CNR plan 100-225;
- porte cochere;
- arrangement of window and door openings;
- original interior elements, including flooring and woodwork;
- semaphore control levers.