This historic station is now used as offices for CP Rail. It gained designation and protection as a Heritage Railway Station by the federal government in 1991, but I don't have much of an idea of what the interior is like anymore. It's always been an attractive building though. Pronounced gables, sloping eaves, and locally produced red brick make it a highlight of Medicine Hat's core.
As a kid I had a model station for my train set that resembled this popular early 20th century style. It's one more reason this building has always been so iconic in my eyes. I can't help but wonder what a flurry of activity there must have been every time a train rolled into town, especially back in those early years when the railway truly was the lifeline for the community.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNFe1nTa8JmGrpYdoNrN87PyqMHDhA-igGhKWUO-f0Q5h67KpDD-ipskd3QLyHva6cow5ossNSr80Q6EbaobmnOcgICYK1Hz6xQOe-cfQ9oYXQeHK9IWCYFeUojTnGf1UboRftfsjAfC0/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(4).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVC8uNsbeUe6R6Y_Hqi-pqdZbZwk8dCPFppxKczFIx-FfrObmPRAXtCcVqQWJ90nLwk3rJDHYoZTavKJplypjWmSz4y7X_aJGJLksUNvfYLN1jG1JNPEAnX4Zv2w2058i0TBCtEBiy1Bg/s1600/medicine+hat+train+station+photos.png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJG80XwxJ1is5jSQ2sTKgZK-4EhyVSojx01vVq1UqXofuh4nVi6P6zlHWoHbnZSHfwujsh3yEyHBXJbzYUudj6msW6yz3Au_jZK0IHxGt7wMjYofbmOzbg4L3TY-msHrDAT4lMRhWTXrE/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(2).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1PDMlZ-JdfOVxoIMlmuiJFNz-8TZEL6GvwhMT147BsPslarKIDWwq_bD6h7uokmxAhqxuiFLFdvDgcco_f5K6Lc6TymxLuWHFW6XxsWGxzr8yx4IC2zpWMpG72AzUUhvfWvsurStgaYfw/s1600/medicine+hat+train+station.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvZNiddMYWG4a_FsBiZUG3Sm5Xixh6IPq8x65TdGlnVoWhShmcGUqm_tvfkGSIW-4hlJ4spDftukE9piZFDm_LqsoalTRvBny0Qd6G8zoVJ0fBHA8feraTcNERhHTwArH-SFje63LPHJA/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(6).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmAafde3KM9F4HTG-Q3ORCG1FDX8mArqyQ8s7hQgCHAgvj8r6OEz0SuA6tl89C5HwNgbru1GypTWa7o1svR6oHJxJL5sHN5xEoqQgLkOSx2SWA4k0wqEPwZpxZ9j0f6fnPUGA8F42RnSc/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(9).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRT7dwE8EzrEsZOqTrLxwjNNjA8ZWULDTIoTV3x6UkI7c8WMg3LRn-vWh60XnwzKMF6nHzWRVeRl9e2nxnFxxm1f9AvSDixO_111SB2C6ywLVsUiOstDnzYFmKAgCv4wO2xaP_XL5NtsRy/s1600/old+train+station+gables.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ib0sy9T2WpkX2d0k9mAtXfxT78UIk26I00AUoVgnmWHVEtbucal9AF3Owi0voUbdSJVChFNobXIedc-L6oCBaiUg_8mqhaBjTjgrONPML5P0w9taFxaXIRmXF28wMyJT8XzXBkyeBvU/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(10).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCQw-f0McDBSHOu3pwKFXHtPryMFTgq-hNdbIiwmfKAmieX2z11ssube42-0Ag1UvhjlsUOxgT8sygt2CV0htDsxR_NwyKbFN_W4iphQbklrjyfNd_nhVNbEYqWMyIF6X13xZ-Q_slGDv/s1600/historic+medicine+hat+train+station.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSmGeUxJ3-gulk1qKsUuWmX8-KQpp4rViYR3RnwBZCtilGeX72RwC7Sj1ZYBNNce4vTfaPTMys7-XT2TBBd_Is-zu8h5kZ7DVkEhU4ZmAgYie1RINaQg7-xCO2_8fQe_Yp3DZdRMCAT2k/s1600/train+station+medicine+hat+history+cpr+(3).png)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi95Y0Y0AJImXXSje71knuC-9uo4xEvq8Etlew5mAxBjS2JL7RQUrhYDysbLh51W3WmRuKfNnwROxTyBD5hhk9Wgl1X402Owk-FcuTXTXTARujyqMD8Vun0_Dwd0wFlsSEqzti3NzRADL9Y/s1600/medicine+hat+train+station+building.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR8fGVG78JZdUWe9STEvqUHoAZpBr0277XqneV5tgxLcnlFTEj8HSKmS9QkOEBvcvHRbYl8CBZXd2qP58YY3d9iNRxiYcWS_wxU8UsPjTNLBU4i7d4Z2u5tedYa_FvxXj0tUhpRztltfp7/s1600/canadian+pacific+trains.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgenYFcuFwrq5oA75P8ilyrlMgj7VayODKcSJNcFe2smXaXU-v5t_8Aicq8Vx3_2xuoxj1sL7H6YodcRUK5Eg2rUx4YSiezL71xWlzthba_hBJmJzr9KvnnOVqCgesoe4IFJbj3HwdHQbE/s1600/medicine+hat+train+station+cpr+trains.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnfag7pZb9De-VwCpLSBMeBM8d_ejtgE-BmbQCu6pgRxkOSkPXeAdd9AsP2M_X9_u6RcsLxSpDFuTGvXgLZV3DjcgFA4HzroQd2IUhrQaCtBR2Q0OD7ti6GoB652zqbsuUTLQnROlLU4oQ/s1600/downtown+medicine+hat.jpg)
![]() |
Medicine Hat from the tracks ca. 1912 |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbLMw_alO_L7LcqfjQC2EzPRfdgvFjdE4lfzL6PmBaeAZ3Ru2YQaCT8F3gUfRNvxBAvon3e76oseDeFXGwzu_sy1q1sgPF5JvfdB-mXye-spzXq5Qf6ieB2s5tetIs03H39m16-pNBcjQ/s1600/train+station+roof.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif5eK9t5Nk1kONjP7YbgT4AeyUDf1LWqOmVuDLC8r16XO2D9Q4a96RecvyXRew6qaDJZL1ZDgWuHW39tnTuYKwoQc45QtsZ49OJmYLKdEK6Gc1n3HEaSfgFtn-jE4eWVxktPtneUAPsVr2/s1600/train+station+alberta.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2eFjY4I9FshuUV9zlxcvUwr1369A0qbZNBqneA9RtT-vWBuW6-IQR5ft1D5aPkA5OZ-TV0gkdKfsun8KVYO8tBXTlCKAKNnFPr-DbXO8QbWpTGdLrwNQaFFfNoRZO9MrMrg4b0WVNkacM/s1600/train+station+gables.jpg)
![]() |
King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at the Medicine Hat train station during their cross-country tour in 1939. |
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9-jlgc2vTUvTXSS3Z4nfeoXujBzDcx8ZqKOT2FX8Es31I6vGLnRezSUWBBN-6IMP5RTDmGJx2vWmAGkwq10ghS7XxLlIPeK_6oNc5dGvds9hWbYE0j8tViG30YJsU04IzZQ7sb4hso55s/s1600/medicine+hat+railyard.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7acJNd6zphdhyLPvyMJT_dFnAztVVeYTN-dgX_eqQ0_hgAfmoJ2l-80DJlbEtw01SNA8W1eNv5bakSaqwvba8a794JGU5VVpt8vCBTeBk602Ck1EncSqyMhMWlrsT2drR98jikQeWB5GZ/s1600/train+station+postcard+medicine+hat+1911.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYqLPmrZ0vT0TvZRz1G6fOIxM7gtB_0kXVhASGaUJ4gCswc0pcQ3ra6F7E3tGH9Jofq4ax7kXnlLGUWqcEmQ3s9uqnmcbYkhDm7vxUyLzoggVgsmIXysVDVZ_CgWRjGPRr6nmtEGGwJV_/s1600/canadian+pacific+railway+medicine+hat.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgufOuTHwplkQCUmgjGJcTNy4vFsQnq3RwabQJyV4-4NZicHon3501iRXcEJW-f-1m9NtmK57QnanF9e_dmJhZ5zzgmWhFe1v7K_0uYHgPP2ep-Uj7AvaazoPvaOJDjm-j623KJS-pPZoMe/s1600/medicine+hat+railyard+station.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbha2Z4C7-LZunp44M7EOA-FLtv8sOnxJMshbYwcr3Jv46RkFXB9I_g7MqSJjTzQqN6_PcWfyNmm1mIinwSRKzMb0CeAb43_76ZkOaGzLXaE9RQzppfzp0B_FQm2kfX1GwiQSQMb-zxLs/s1600/medicine+hat+train+station+cpr.jpg)
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgObUn7xmx6IyctwxF_Dv3xUr0Dg1s6R9qUpDD6w6PLJJUpWSxHn1m2S9Sm3LOO4_2pH-cL9l6p8cj_qKATt3TZMZS7TRm3GelcdNStght212ofvsm2dXrxKXCgxBwLOCZpHG1Mx0EVqchn/s1600/historic+train+station+medicine+hat+alberta.jpg)
![]() |
Another postcard of the station from the early 1910s. |
2 comments :
Too bad you couldn't get some interior shots.
Yes, unfortunately CP turned down my request to photograph the interior. Although I'm not sure it's as compelling as my imagination hopes - it's been used as offices for over 20 years now, and looking through the windows it looks pretty standard.
Post a Comment