The
Temagami Station
The Temagami Station was built in 1907 by the Temiskaming and Northern Ontario
Railway, now the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), an Ontario
Crown Corporation.
Two years later, the new stone station's interior was destroyed by fire then
reconstructed immediately. A freight building and an earlier wood frame station,
later used as a restaurant, shared the platform to the north, next to a garden
where 'TEMAGAMI' was spelled out with flowers. At the south end of the platform,
a second garden featured a small ornamental pond. Today the stone station is all
that remains.
The main floor was originally divided into three sections. A central core, with
bay windows on the east and west facades, housed the railway office, telegraph
and signal equipment, ticket counters and washrooms. Both the north waiting room
and the south waiting room, reserved for ladies, were open to the cathedral
ceiling.
Over the years the Station has undergone several alterations. False ceilings
were added to the waiting rooms in the 1940's, as energy-saving measures.
Following a fire in 1976, the north waiting room and office areas were
'modernized' and the Ladies' Waiting Room was used for freight and general
storage.
In 1996, when the Agent retired, ONTC put out a request for proposals to operate
the building. The successful proponents, Claire & Richard Smerdon, established
the Temagami Station Restoration Trust, to restore the building and keep it open
to the public.
The Trust has a 20 year license agreement with ONTC and is responsible for the
restoration and operation of the Station. The north portion of the building is
sublet to Temagami Station Enterprises Ltd., a commercial business which will
operate a tourist attraction in the Station.
This company also leases part of the basement for light manufacturing of model
railroad kits and souvenirs. This private/public partnership will allow the
building to be open to the public year-round, free of charge.
To find out more about the station restoration project,
visit The Temagami Station Restoration Trust at The Cochrane Temiskaming
Museums and Galleries site:
http://www.museumsnorth.org
