The Station

The Station is a tourist welcome centre with shops and cafe located near the marina in the Town of Montague. It was originally built as a branch railway station for the Prince Edward Island Railway. It features a steeply pitched hipped roof with matching hipped dormer. Large brackets support the building's wide eaves. Several original large rectangular nine over nine windows remain in the facade.

The Station is valued for its well preserved architectural style; for its association with the history of the railway in the Town of Montague; and for its importance as a tourist attraction in the town.

Construction of a railway on PEI had begun in 1871. By 1901, the village at Montague Bridge was demanding that it be connected to the main line to nearby Georgetown. At public meetings, some people declared: "Our travelling facilities [are] decidedly behind the age... many persons [are] deterred from coming to the village on account of our not having railway communication..." Montague was becoming a commercial centre. In 1888, it had been chosen as the site of a new Customs House and Post Office.

The proponents of a Montague branch line received encouragement in 1903, when a new branch line from Charlottetown to Murray Harbour was announced. Continued agitation of local political figures such as Senator Robertson eventually led to the call for tenders for the Montague railway on October 5, 1904. By July 1905, newspapers were reporting that construction was proceeding well. A bridge was being built over the Brudenell River and into the village of Cardigan. By October, the last of the rails were being laid and work on the interior of the new station building was beginning.

The grand opening was set for Dominion Day (July 1st) 1906. A large crowd gathered to greet the first locomotive and many boarded the train for a trip to Georgetown and back. Over the years, the station remained a significant landmark in the town. In addition to the economic benefits the railway brought, it also became the focus of public events - such as the 1910 visit by then Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier (1841-1919), who would be defeated in the election of September 21, 1911 - mainly over the issue of Reciprocity with the United States.

The railway lines were abandoned in PEI in 1989 after freight service ended. In 1984, the building had been purchased by the Town of Montague and renovated as a welcome centre for visitors to the area. Today, the Station remains an important landmark in the town and is located near the Confederation Trail system overlooking the beautiful Montague river.

Source: Culture and Heritage Division, PEI Department of Communities, Cultural Affairs and Labour, Charlottetown, PE C1A 7N8

File #: 4310-20/M9

The following character-defining elements illustrate the heritage value of the Station:

- the scale, form, and massing of the building

- the characteristic design elements of a hipped roof with large flared overhang eaves with wooden brackets

- the centrally placed hipped roof dormer

- the wood shingle cladding on the exterior walls and roof

- the panelled doors with transom windows

- the fenestration of the exterior with an array of nine over nine windows

- the centrally placed chimney

Other character-defining elements include:

- the location of the station overlooking the marina in the Town of Montague