Caledonia Train Station
Encyclopedia
The Caledonia Grand Trunk Railway Station was built in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Railway
Company of Canada
. The station was the third to be built in Caledonia
.
The First Station was located in the Slater Hotel located where Tim Hortons
stands as of 2010 on the North Side of the Grand River
. When railway traffic increased Grand Trunk realized the benefits of a full-sized station in Caledonia. Around 1877 a Station was built on the present location. This station burned down around 1906 and plans were made for a new, bigger station.
The fire also destroyed a Grain Elevator
which had been built by Hull & Old around 1867 as a Steam powered grist mill. A new elevator was built, and burned to the ground in September 1996, not to be rebuilt.
This new, bigger station was to include a passenger waiting room
, men's and ladies' smoking room
s, freight room and two restrooms, as well as office spaces in the east end. The Ticket Wicket was said to be one of the finest in the Country. Grand Trunk operated the station until CN (Canadian National Railway
) took over the building (And the entire Grand Trunk Operation) in 1923.
At this point, an extended freight and maintenance room was added to the west end of the building. Also at this time, the then popular red "insul-brick" was used to cover up the Grand Trunk colour Scheme of beige and park green. The Station operated under CN Rail until October of 1957 when they canceled passenger service to Caledonia, Cayuga
, Port Dover
, Hagersville
, and Jarvis
. The last "Port Dover Granny" to stop at Caledonia was on October 26, 1957. Parcel and freight service continued until November 1977. CN used the station as a maintenance depot up to the mid 80's after which it fell into disrepair.
In August 1996 CN filed notice to abandon and demolish the Station, and subsequently sell off the land on which it stood.
Ron Clark of Caledonia purchased the station and donated it to the Special Projects Committee of the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce, which then formed a Grand Trunk Station Society to maintain the building.
Extensive work was done, including new foundations, roof, and restoring the original beige and park Green wooden siding from the Grand Trunk era.
The official opening of the newly restored Station was held November 27, 1997, 14 months after work began.
The restored station now accommodates a Grand Trunk Railway Museum, office
s for the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a meeting room for community organization
s.
Grand Trunk Railway
The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system which operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario, as well as the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec; however, corporate...
Company of 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...
. The station was the third to be built in Caledonia
Caledonia
Caledonia is the Latinised form and name given by the Romans to the land in today's Scotland north of their province of Britannia, beyond the frontier of their empire...
.
The First Station was located in the Slater Hotel located where Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons
Tim Hortons Inc. is a Canadian fast casual restaurant known for its coffee and doughnuts. It is also Canada's largest fast food service with over 3000 stores nationwide. It was founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, by Canadian hockey player Tim Horton and Jim Charade, after an initial venture in...
stands as of 2010 on the North Side of the Grand River
Grand River (Ontario)
The Grand River is a large river in southwestern Ontario, Canada. From its source, it flows south through Grand Valley, Fergus, Elora, Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge, Paris, Brantford, Caledonia, and Cayuga before emptying into the north shore of Lake Erie south of Dunnville at Port Maitland...
. When railway traffic increased Grand Trunk realized the benefits of a full-sized station in Caledonia. Around 1877 a Station was built on the present location. This station burned down around 1906 and plans were made for a new, bigger station.
The fire also destroyed a Grain Elevator
Grain elevator
A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...
which had been built by Hull & Old around 1867 as a Steam powered grist mill. A new elevator was built, and burned to the ground in September 1996, not to be rebuilt.
This new, bigger station was to include a passenger waiting room
Waiting room
A waiting room is a building, or more commonly a part of a building where people sit or stand until the event they are waiting for occurs.There are generally two types of waiting room. One is where individuals leave one at a time, for instance at a doctor's office or a hospital, or outside a school...
, men's and ladies' smoking room
Smoking room
A Smoking room is a room which is specifically provided and furnished for smoking, generally in buildings where smoking is otherwise prohibited....
s, freight room and two restrooms, as well as office spaces in the east end. The Ticket Wicket was said to be one of the finest in the Country. Grand Trunk operated the station until CN (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"....
) took over the building (And the entire Grand Trunk Operation) in 1923.
At this point, an extended freight and maintenance room was added to the west end of the building. Also at this time, the then popular red "insul-brick" was used to cover up the Grand Trunk colour Scheme of beige and park green. The Station operated under CN Rail until October of 1957 when they canceled passenger service to Caledonia, Cayuga
Cayuga, Ontario
Cayuga is an unincorporated community and county seat in the province of Ontario, Canada located at the intersection of Highway 3 and Munsee Street and along the Grand River in Haldimand County. Cayuga is about a 20 minute drive from Lake Erie and 30 minutes south of Hamilton and 115 minutes south...
, Port Dover
Port Dover, Ontario
Port Dover is an unincorporated community and former town located in Norfolk County, Ontario, Canada on the north shore of Lake Erie.The community was the subject of an American raid during the War of 1812, on May 14, 1814....
, Hagersville
Hagersville, Ontario
Hagersville is a community in Haldimand County, Ontario which gained international notoriety in 1990 for a gigantic uncontrolled tire fire which spewed toxic smoke for seventeen days...
, and Jarvis
Jarvis, Ontario
Jarvis is a small community in Haldimand County, Ontario, Canada. Jarvis is located near the towns of Simcoe, Townsend, Cayuga, Port Dover and Hagersville. It is located at the crossroads of Highway 3 and Highway 6.- Facilities :...
. The last "Port Dover Granny" to stop at Caledonia was on October 26, 1957. Parcel and freight service continued until November 1977. CN used the station as a maintenance depot up to the mid 80's after which it fell into disrepair.
In August 1996 CN filed notice to abandon and demolish the Station, and subsequently sell off the land on which it stood.
Ron Clark of Caledonia purchased the station and donated it to the Special Projects Committee of the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce, which then formed a Grand Trunk Station Society to maintain the building.
Extensive work was done, including new foundations, roof, and restoring the original beige and park Green wooden siding from the Grand Trunk era.
The official opening of the newly restored Station was held November 27, 1997, 14 months after work began.
The restored station now accommodates a Grand Trunk Railway Museum, office
Office
An office is generally a room or other area in which people work, but may also denote a position within an organization with specific duties attached to it ; the latter is in fact an earlier usage, office as place originally referring to the location of one's duty. When used as an adjective, the...
s for the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a meeting room for community organization
Community organization
Community organizations are civil society non-profits that operate within a single local community. They are essentially a subset of the wider group of nonprofits. Like other nonprofits they are often run on a voluntary basis and are self funded...
s.