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7 June 2009

The Ex-Canadian Pacific Railway Station at Empress Alberta


Railway Avenue view on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border (Alberta) side) at MP 111.8 Empress Sub, MP 0.0 Bassano Sub. Built in 1914. Used as a station until 1963 then as a operator bunkhouse until 1972. A National Historic site - 22 Apr 2009 Cor van Steenis.
 
 
My initial reaction to this photo was, "Who would dare to paint a Canadian Pacific Railway heritage station in Canadian National colours?". That would be jumping to a conclusion too quickly. The photographer, Cor van Steenis, has more to say about this station, read on...
 

Trackside view on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border (Alberta) side) at MP 111.8 Empress Sub, MP 0.0 Bassano Sub. Built in 1914. Used as a station until 1963 then as a operator bunkhouse until 1972. A National Historic site - 22 Apr 2009 Cor van Steenis.
 
 
In 1911 the Canadian Pacific Railway decided to construct a 230 mile long northern branch line from Java, Saskatchewan (One mile west of Swift Current.) to Bassano in Alberta. In effect another route from Swift Current to Calgary, which attracted farm settlers to the area. Empress, Albeta, located on the Alberta-Saskatchewan border (Alberta side) was the divisional point between the 112.3 mile Empress Subdivision in Saskatchewan and the 118.3 mile Bassano Subdivision in Alberta. Empress was named by the North West Mounted Police after the Jubilee of Queen Victoria, Empress of India, in 1897. Empress had a roundhouse and a station which was built when the materials arrived by rail from Bassano in June 1914; the station accommodated passenger, freight, and telegraph service, as well as a roadmaster's office. The Bassano Subdivision went into operation on 12 Jun 1914 while the Empress Subdivision was not in full operation until the major bridge across the South Saskatchewan River between Empress and Leader, Saskatchewan, was completed. The line went into full operation in the spring of 1915. In 1914 the village had over 200 people living there. In 1920 the population rose to 800 but today there are only 170 residents. The portion of the Empress Subdivision, from just east of Swift Current to Leader, was recently acquired by the Great Sandhills Railway, which has commenced operations.
 
 

 
 
The CPR station at Empress was declared a National Historic Site in 1992. It is the only station in Alberta built to CPR Plan X-12. It is currently undergoing restoration. The exterior is virtually complete except for a couple of doors, a gable grill, and the addition of a station platform. Interior restoration has commenced. Although we think of the traditional CPR stations as painted tuscan red with dark brown trim and yellow window sashes, in the early 20th century this was not the general colour scheme. A number of stations had yellow-ochre siding with dark green trim. This restoration is true to the original colours. In 1991 an examination of the Empress station revealed the yellow-ochre paint beneath the later-applied tuscan red.
 
Sources:  Atlas of Alberta Railways, Alberta Heritage Sources Information System, and Don Thomas of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
 
Cor van Steenis - Chestermere Alberta Canada.
   
Cordova Station is located on Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada