It was the Calgary and Edmonton railway which connected the two cities by railway, this coming about in 1891. They had built a station at
Siding 16, later to be renamed Wetaskiwin, which remained in use for several years. The Calgary & Edmonton Railway (owned partially by railway builders McKenzie and Mann as well as James Ross, a contractor with the CPR) leased the line to the CPR until the CPR purchased it outright. By 1903 the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) had taken over ownership of the line and by 1907 the increase in traffic had dictated that a new station be built. This is that station, completed in 1908, serving passengers until 1985, when passenger service was discontinued.
While the CPR built many standard stations of various sizes and shapes, cookie cutter fashion, this particular station was a one-off. Known as a Wetaskiwin Special WF (woodframe) Station, though there were somewhat similar stations built in Alberta, this one was unique, with no copies built. In 1913, it was already proving too small to handle the traffic and an extension was added. This was the type of station built for larger towns/small cities, being much larger than the vast majority of stations to be built in central Alberta.
Railway Station
In 1891 the Calgary and Edmonton railway line was completed and Siding 16 was created. Later, because of a suggestion by Father Lacombe, it was named Wetaskiwin, which in Cree means "the place where peace was made."
The trains that travelled between Calgary and Edmonton at this time were mixed trains in which passenger and freight cars were joined together. They went about 25 miles per hour and often stopped along the way to load and unload freight. These stops varied in length from a few minutes to an hour or more, creating problems for passengers who wanted to know their exact departure and arrival times.
The Canadian Pacific Railway became the official owners of the Calgary and Edmonton Line in 1903. The CPR immediately improved service by discontinuing mixed trains and establishing a daily train service just for passengers. Wetaskiwin quickly became a flourishing railway centre so in 1908, the CPR built a new, more spacious building. By 1912, there were ten daily trains, and in 1913, an extension was built. Two more stalls were added to the roadhouse and a double track was laid in the local yards. The cost of the station and extension was approximately $14,554.
The railway is still in use as a freight line, but the Canadian Pacific Railway discontinued its passenger service in 1985, due to declining demand, and the railway station was closed. The large picture shows the train station that was built in 1908, the same building that is now standing. The smaller picture is the original Siding 16.
From the plaque at the building