Description of Historic Place

The CN Train Station is located on Legatto Street in the centre of Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia. This brick train station with medium hip roof, is a traditional class 4 station, built to the Intercolonial Railway of Canada (I.C.R.) standard 22' x 70' plan. The building and property are included in the provincial designation.

Heritage Value

The CN Train Station is valued because it is typical of a twentieth-century railway prototype and is a very good example of one of the designs of railway stations in the province. It is architecturally significant for its wide eave brackets, hip gable dormer and brick construction. It is culturally significant for its transportation association with World War I and World War II and also for its industrial connection with the coal mining industry. It is also contextually significant because it is on its original site with strong presence to the community.

The CN Train Station was built around 1904 and in service from 1905 to 1990. The train station played a very important role in the economy of Nova Scotia and Canada during both World War I and World War II. During the First World War, there was a steel plant in Sydney Mines which supplied various products to the war effort. These supplies were shipped through Sydney Mines via the train station.

Sydney Mines also had a number of coal mines that supplied coal to various parts of Canada for use in the war effort. These coal mines were in operation in Sydney Mines during World War II and were the only mines in Canada that never depended on subsidies to keep them running during the war years. All coal produced during World War II was shipped through the CN Train Station.

During the Second World War, Sydney Mines had the highest enlistment rating of any town in the commonwealth at approximately 75.9%. The majority of these men were transported by the train from the CN Train Station as were other people from various parts of the surrounding industrial area.

Until the closure of the train station in 1990, it had served as a very important industry to the town and outlining areas because of its passenger services, freight services and for being a vital transportation link to other parts of the country. The role that this train station played during both World Wars was insurmountable.

The CN Train Station is a traditional class 4 station, built to the Intercolonial Railway of Canada (I.C.R.) standard 22' x 70' plan, but reversed to suit the local situation. The train station is of brick construction on a concrete foundation with a medium hip roof with brackets supported by extended eaves. It has a hip gable dormer above the track side bay window and one original chimney survives, the other has been reduced in size.

The CN Train Station served as a very important landmark in Nova Scotia's history; as a result it now serves as heritage museum.

Source: Provincial Heritage Program property file, no. 257, 1747 Summer Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Character-Defining Elements

Character-defining elements of the CN Train Station as a traditional class 4 station include:

- standard 22' x 70' plan;
- brick construction;
- concrete foundation;
- medium hip roof with bracket supported by extended eaves;
- hip gable dormer above track side bay window;
- one original chimney.