Biggar railway station
Encyclopedia
The Biggar Railway Station is a heritage railway station operated by Via Rail
located in the town of Biggar
, Saskatchewan
, Canada
.
(CPR) built a branch line through the area. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
(GTP) transcontinental railway project was built through Biggar the following year in 1908 and the GTP designated the town as a division point on the main line between the railway's eastern terminus at Winnipeg, Manitoba
and the railway's western terminus at Prince Rupert
, British Columbia
.
The town was named in honour of William Hodgins Biggar
, who was the railway company's General Counsel.
The station building was constructed by the GTP in 1909 and opened in 1910. It was one of the largest GTP stations in western Canada and featured a 24 hour/day restaurant for passengers and railway employees.
In 1920, the bankrupt GTP system was nationalized
by the Government of Canada and it was merged into the Canadian National Railways (CNR), a federal Crown corporation. Under CNR, later shortened to CN or CN Rail, the Biggar Railway Station saw continued use as a station stop for that company's premier transcontinental passenger train, the Super Continental
.
In 1978, CN transferred its passenger railway service to Via Rail
, a new federal Crown corporation dedicated exclusively to operating Canada's passenger trains. In 1981, Via Rail budget cuts saw the Super Continental discontinued, thus Biggar lost its passenger service, however this returned in 1985 when the Via Rail budget cuts to the Super Continental were reversed.
In 1990, further budget cuts to Via Rail saw the Super Continental cut once again, however the Canadian
which had run on the Canadian Pacific Railway
in southern Saskatchewan from Winnipeg via Regina
to Calgary, Alberta
and on to Vancouver
, British Columbia, was shifted to the more northerly CN line running through Biggar.
On Heritage Day
, 19 February 1996, Sheila Copps
, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage designated the Biggar Railway Station as a National Historic Site of Canada and received legislative protection to prevent demolition or alteration.
The citation reads as follows:
The building was built of wood in a bungalow style, typical of small town railway stations built by the Grand Trunk Pacific during that period.
's Canadian
transcontinental passenger train service. Trains stop 3 days/week in each direction.
Biggar is the first stop for the westbound Canadian after departing Saskatoon 1 hour earlier to the east. Edmonton is approximately 5 hours by train to the west.
Biggar continues to be a division point for Canadian National Railway
(CN) in its freight service.
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
located in the town of Biggar
Biggar, Saskatchewan
Biggar is a town in central Saskatchewan, Canada. It is located on Highway #14, west of Saskatoon, the province’s most populous city. Biggar has become well known for its unusual town slogan, an Olympic athlete, and a world-record deer...
, Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
History
Biggar received its first railway service in 1907 when the Canadian Pacific RailwayCanadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
(CPR) built a branch line through the area. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
(GTP) transcontinental railway project was built through Biggar the following year in 1908 and the GTP designated the town as a division point on the main line between the railway's eastern terminus at Winnipeg, Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
and the railway's western terminus at Prince Rupert
Prince Rupert, British Columbia
Prince Rupert is a port city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is the land, air, and water transportation hub of British Columbia's North Coast, and home to some 12,815 people .-History:...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
The town was named in honour of William Hodgins Biggar
William Hodgins Biggar
William Hodgins Biggar was an Ontario business lawyer and political figure. He represented Hastings West in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario as a Liberal member from 1890 to 1898.He also served on the parliamentary Committee overseeing the construction of the Legislative Assembly building for...
, who was the railway company's General Counsel.
The station building was constructed by the GTP in 1909 and opened in 1910. It was one of the largest GTP stations in western Canada and featured a 24 hour/day restaurant for passengers and railway employees.
In 1920, the bankrupt GTP system was nationalized
Nationalization
Nationalisation, also spelled nationalization, is the process of taking an industry or assets into government ownership by a national government or state. Nationalization usually refers to private assets, but may also mean assets owned by lower levels of government, such as municipalities, being...
by the Government of Canada and it was merged into the Canadian National Railways (CNR), a federal Crown corporation. Under CNR, later shortened to CN or CN Rail, the Biggar Railway Station saw continued use as a station stop for that company's premier transcontinental passenger train, the Super Continental
Super Continental
The Super Continental was a transcontinental Canadian passenger train operated originally by the Canadian National Railway beginning in 1955 and subsequently by Via Rail from 1977 until its cancellation in 1981. Service was restored in 1985 but was again eliminated in 1990...
.
In 1978, CN transferred its passenger railway service to Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
, a new federal Crown corporation dedicated exclusively to operating Canada's passenger trains. In 1981, Via Rail budget cuts saw the Super Continental discontinued, thus Biggar lost its passenger service, however this returned in 1985 when the Via Rail budget cuts to the Super Continental were reversed.
In 1990, further budget cuts to Via Rail saw the Super Continental cut once again, however the Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
which had run on the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
in southern Saskatchewan from Winnipeg via Regina
Regina, Saskatchewan
Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...
to Calgary, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and on to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia, was shifted to the more northerly CN line running through Biggar.
On Heritage Day
Heritage Day
Heritage Day may refer to:* Heritage Day in Canada on:** the first Monday in August in Alberta, or** the third Monday in February in Kingston, Ontario.* Heritage Day in South Africa on September 24* European Heritage Days...
, 19 February 1996, Sheila Copps
Sheila Copps
Sheila Maureen Copps, PC is a former Canadian politician who also served as Deputy Prime Minister of Canada from November 4, 1993 to April 30, 1996 and June 19, 1996 to June 11, 1997....
, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Canadian Heritage designated the Biggar Railway Station as a National Historic Site of Canada and received legislative protection to prevent demolition or alteration.
The citation reads as follows:
The building was built of wood in a bungalow style, typical of small town railway stations built by the Grand Trunk Pacific during that period.
Current use
The Biggar Railway Station is a station stop used by Via RailVIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
's Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
transcontinental passenger train service. Trains stop 3 days/week in each direction.
Biggar is the first stop for the westbound Canadian after departing Saskatoon 1 hour earlier to the east. Edmonton is approximately 5 hours by train to the west.
Biggar continues to be a division point for Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
(CN) in its freight service.