CN Station
Canadian Northern Class 3 Special Station Lloydminster
The Canadian Northern Railway Station , later used by the Canadian National Railway ( C.N.R.), was a one and one half-story building located just west of the Fourth Meridian (110 degrees W) border on what is now 51 Street. The Alberta Hotel, now the Econo Lodge, across the street served both train crews and passengers with a short walk from the Station.
Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) had a series of plans for the construction of its stations. Lloydminster along with four other communities, Virden Manitoba, Melfort and North Battleford Saskatchewan and Fort Saskatchewan Alberta, all share plan 100-19 station.
"Introduced in 1904, plan 100-19 was a "special station" design for only the most significant points along the line. Considerably longer than other third class stations, plan 100-19 were distinguished by an exterior design that featured hip roofs on either end of the building and a spacious interior that include a vestibule, kitchen, living room, large general waiting room, separate ladies waiting room, office and a small freight shed." (1)'
The station has a hip roof with bellcast eaves supported by brackets, dormers on the front and back sides, and a series of nine-over-one windows.' (1) A wooden platform extended along the north side of the building. Fort Saskatchewan has the only one standing building of this type in Alberta left.
Some facts about the CNoR Lloydminster class three station:
1906 - Lloydminster # 1-A Station built at the cost of $5014 (2)
1920 - Addition added onto building. (2)
1936 - Insulation added to walls and sometimes attic as well (2)
1940 - Stucco applied to exterior walls (2)
? - Electric service installed (2)
? - Gas heating installed (2)
1955 & 1961 - Proposed building of a replacement station. Never built. (3)
1991 - Demolished after a fire October 4-5 1991
A second building (Lloydminster # 1-B was built in 1917 for Lloydminster. This was a plan 100-41 Freight and Passenger Shelter. (1)
Sources:
1. Alberta Registered Historic Places - Fort Saskatchewan Canadian Northern Railway Station
2. Canadian National's Western Stations - Chas W. Bohi and Leslie S. Kozma, 2002, Fitzhenry & Whiteside Publications
3. Canadian National's Western Depots - Chas W. Bohi, 1997, Railfan Ent.