In doing a little research project this month, your editor dug up some photos (with the help of Grant Ferguson) on Vancouver’s Great Northern Station which stood on Station Street north of the Canadian National Station (today’s Pacific Central Station). In doing the digging, a photo of the CN station also emerged. Many memories were rekindled for your editor of trips to both stations to start off our summer vacations by rail.
Station Street was a centre of railway activity through Vancouver's developing years from the time that the east end of False Creek was filled in right to today, but it’s heyday was clearly the 1920’s through the 1960’s. So, enjoy these photos of the stations on Station Street as a bit of a photo essay and reminder of Vancouver railroading in its golden age.
Here is a lovely photo of Vancouver’s Great Northern station on Station Street, circa 1940. (photo, Vancouver Public Library, 19760)
The Great Northern Station didn’t look much different in January 1965 when this photo was taken by Grant Ferguson, but demolition was about to get underway. Wouldn’t it be great if this beautiful station was still there?
Here’s a photo taken in April 27 1955 by Jack Evans of the Canadian National station on Station Street in Vancouver. The banner over the entrance announces the railway’s new Super Continental train, and the large sign on the roof now resides at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park. The station remains as Pacific Central Station in Vancouver.
