Caledonia station (Grand Trunk Railway) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grand Trunk Railway Station (Caledonia, ON)
|
||
|---|---|---|
Caledonia station in May 2025.
|
||
| Location | 1 Grand Trunk Lane, Caledonia, Ontario Canada |
|
| Coordinates | 43°04′41″N 79°57′05″W / 43.07806°N 79.95139°W | |
| Elevation | 212.5 | |
| Other information | ||
| Status | Chamber of Commerce & Tourist Information Centre | |
| Website | [1] | |
| History | ||
| Opened | September 30, 1908 | |
| Closed | September 1996 | |
| Rebuilt | November 1997 | |
| Former Services | ||
| Lua error in Module:Adjacent_stations at line 236: Unknown line "St. Thomas-Hamilton".
|
||
The Caledonia railway station is an old train station in Caledonia, Ontario, Canada. It was built in 1908 by the Grand Trunk Railway Company. This station was actually the third one built in Caledonia. Today, it's no longer a train station but a museum and a community hub.
Contents
History of Caledonia Station
Early Train Days
Trains first started running through Caledonia between 1852 and 1856. This was thanks to the Buffalo, Brantford and Goderich Railway. A local leader named James Little worked hard to make sure the train line came through Caledonia. He wanted it to pass through Caledonia instead of Cayuga.
This train line connected places like Jarvis to Hamilton. It was later extended all the way to Port Dover. Around 1860, a place called the 'Railway Hotel' opened. It was run by William Slater.
The First Stations and Fires
The very first Caledonia railway station was actually inside the Slater Hotel. This hotel was located on the north side of the Grand River, where a Tim Hortons restaurant is today. Sadly, this first station burned down in a fire around 1870.
As more and more trains passed through, the Grand Trunk Railway realized they needed a bigger station. So, around 1877, a new station was built in the same spot where the current one stands. But this station also burned down on November 13, 1907. After this, plans were made for an even newer and larger station.
The 1907 fire also destroyed a grain elevator nearby. This elevator had been built around 1867. A new elevator was built, but it also burned down in September 1996. It was never rebuilt after that.
Building the Current Station
The new, bigger station was designed to have many important rooms. It included a waiting room for passengers and separate smoking rooms for men and ladies. There was also a freight room for goods and two restrooms. Office spaces were located on the east side of the building. People said the Ticket Wicket, where tickets were sold, was one of the best in the country.
The Grand Trunk Railway ran the station until 1923. That year, the Canadian National Railway (CN Rail) took over the entire Grand Trunk operation, including the Caledonia station.
Changes and Closure
After CN Rail took over, they added an extended freight and maintenance room to the west end. They also covered the station's original beige and park green colors with popular red "insul-brick."
The station continued to operate under CN Rail until October 1957. At that time, CN Rail stopped passenger train service to Caledonia and other nearby towns like Cayuga, Port Dover, Hagersville, and Jarvis. The last passenger train to stop in Caledonia was on October 26, 1957.
Parcel and freight services continued at the station until November 1977. After that, CN Rail used the station as a maintenance depot until the mid-1980s. The building then started to fall apart.
A New Life for the Station
In August 1996, CN Rail announced plans to abandon and tear down the station. They also wanted to sell the land. However, Ron Clark, a person from Caledonia, bought the station. He then gave it to the Special Projects Committee of the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce. This group formed the Grand Trunk Station Society to take care of the building.
A lot of work was done to fix up the station. This included putting in new foundations and a new roof. They also restored the original beige and park green wooden siding from the Grand Trunk era. The newly restored station officially opened on November 27, 1997. This was about 14 months after the 'Grand Trunk Train Crew' started their work.
Today, the restored station is home to a Grand Trunk Railway Museum. It also has offices for the Caledonia & Regional Chamber of Commerce. Plus, it has a meeting room that community organizations can use.
