A spurline south from Charlottetown to Murray Harbour was begun in 1903 and was further extended to Cardigan and Montague in 1905. Construction on the Montahue station was begun in October of 1905, with its grand opening scheduled for Dominion Day (July 1st) 1906, the day the first train rumbled into town. By the 1970s Canadian National, which operated the railway, began to close stations along the tracks due to lack of revenue, this station likely being closed at that time.
The station was eventually acquired by the Town in 1984. Since that time the building has housed a visitor centre, a gift shop, café, and the office of Cruise Manada (seal watching cruises). Still in very good condition, the locals saw in short order that the station would be a wonderful location for the local visitor centre.
The Station
DESCRIPTION OF HISTORIC PLACE
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.
HERITAGE VALUE
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.
CHARACTER-DEFINING ELEMENTS
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
From Historic Places Canada