Ontario's Train Stations

I remember visiting the Hamilton Train Station in the North end to pick up my grandparents on Christmas Eve.  It was a huge stone building with four columns like the Parthenon; inside were high ceilings and long wooden benches.  Built in a modern style, the station closed in recent years and now houses Liuna Gardens, a restaurant for wedding receptions.



Hamilton Railway Station photo courtesy www.thespec.com.

When we moved to Brantford, we invited a friend from Windsor who arrived on the train.  I was pleased to see that the city had preserved the original brown brick station complete with a large turret designed in the Gothic, Romanesque and Chateauesque styles. 

My Dad used to take the train to visit his uncle in Kirkton.  He and his Dad would stop at St. Mary's junction, a one storey stone building with gabled roofs, arched windows and doors.  Then they would head to a restaurant in the stone town, a rare occasion, where they would dine on liver and onions. 

Photo of St. Mary's Junction courtesy http://viastation1.jpg.

My Dad and my Grandad would start their journey at Toronto's Union Station, a majestic building with a row of columns at the front, constructed in the beaux arts classicism style.

Photo of Toronto's Union Station courtesy http://planetware.com.

When I visited Goderich in the summers as a child, I got to take a peek at its train station, a red brick building with a large turret.

Photo courtesy http://farm1.staticflickr.com.

We drove by the Kingston train station when we went to the Thousand Islands in 1997; it is a beautiful two storey building with a mansard roof.

Photo of Kingston Train Station courtesy http://farm1.staticflickr.com.

When we visited Westfield Heritage Village near Rockton, we took a peek at the Jerseyville train station, a quaint wooden structure that was used to film the 1980's TV production of "Anne of Green Gables".

Train stations are often beautiful structures and I am pleased to see that many of the Ontario buildings have been preserved.