Description of Historic Place
The former Canadian Pacific Railway Station (VIA Rail) is a two-storey, wooden railway station with a station agent’s living quarters above, built in 1912. It is located in the city of Duncan, in British Columbia. The formal recognition is confined to the railway station building itself.
Heritage Value
The former Canadian Pacific Railway Station (VIA Rail) at Duncan reflects the Canadian Pacific Railway’s (CPR) commitment to sustaining the pivotal role of its subsidiary, the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway (E&N), in the economy of Vancouver Island. This station ensured access to products in the timber, mining and agricultural markets of the Cowichan Valley, and facilitated the expansion of tourism in the area. Designed by CPR Divisional Engineer R.A. Bainbridge, the generous size and distinctive appearance of this Station reflects the CPR’s optimistic view of Duncan’s prospects as a key stop on the E&N main line. The former Canadian Pacific Railway Station (VIA Rail) at Duncan serves as a focal point for the downtown area. It has been renovated twice by the community and houses the Cowichan Valley Museum. The station retains its relationship with the tracks and with the generous lawn formerly used as a station garden. The Duncan Cenotaph just to the south of the train station building. Grouped totem poles can also be found on the north and south sides of the building.
Sources: Heritage Character Statement, VIA Rail Station, Duncan, British Columbia, September 1993; and Analytica Associates, Railway Station Report 149, VIA Rail (former Canadian Pacific Railway) Station, Duncan, British Columbia.
