New Railroad Station Opens In Canada
Railroads in Canada had been dominated by the Canadian Pacific Railroad since the 19th century but smaller railroads to service western routes. By 1903 there were 12 separate rail lines entering Winnipeg, the capital of Manitoba. The Canadian Northern Railroad, the National Transcontinental, and the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway were expanding their rail lines and building new hotels and stations to promote tourism. In 1907 the 3 railways were persuaded to build a common station. In Winnipeg the CPR already had a beautiful station but the new partnership wanted to surpass it. They hired Warren & Wetmore who were responsible for Grand Central in New York to build a magnificent railroad station in Winnipeg.
On June 24, 1912 Union Station in Winnipeg officially opened. The 4 storey building is built of limestone and sited at the end of a newly planted tree-lined Broadway Avenue. The waiting room was finished in marble with immense arched skylights and the building is capped with a massive rotunda. With a large immigrant population still traveling Canada, every feature from waiting rooms, washrooms, eating facilities and even their exit out onto the street were separated so the 1st class passengers never saw immigrants who had facilities in the basement floors.
Union Station
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
opened June 24, 1912
100 Years Ago Today 