The "Then" photo here was taken in about 1925, not long after the station was built. It is in its original location along the CPR tracks at Athalmer, down the hill from its present location. The "Now" photo, taken in 2017 is at the museum. Two photos, two locations, same building.
The main museum building is the Windermere Lake CPR Depot, also the largest building on the property, moved to the museum from down the hill and officially opened June 23, 1979.
Built of logs in 1923, the station served the town until, we believe, the late 1960s, after which time it stood empty until...
It was 1977, we believe, that a coal train passing through Invermere derailed, with at least one coal car striking the station, doing considerable damage. The CPR was not about to rebuild the station, as it had been obseleted by time & economics so it was given to the Windermere District Historical Society. They society dismantled what was left of the station and reassembled it at the museum, officially reopening it on June 23, 1979.
A bronze plaque beside the entrance bears the following text.
Lake Windermere Station
THIS BUILDING, CONSTRUCTED AS
THE LAKE WINDERMERE STATION
BY CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY
COMPANY IN 1923, WAS ORIGINALLY
LOCATED IN ATHALMER, JUST BELOW
ITS PRESENT SITE.
IT IS AN OUTSTANDING EXAMPLE
OF A LOG DESIGN USED BY THE
COMPANY DURING THE PERIOD
1920 - 1925.
THE STATION, CEDED BY THE
COMPANY TO THE WINDERMERE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY AS A MUSEUM,
IS A STANDING MEMORIAL TO PAST DAYS.
ERECTED COURTESY OF
CANADIAN PACIFIC LIMITED
JUNE 1978