ST. PAUL - It was a day of celebration and reflection as the grand opening of the Willingdon CPR train station took place at the St. Paul Museum, June 22.
First, museum curator Alice Bourget offered some historical insight about the railway coming to St. Paul. She noted there was a lot of politics involved when St. Paul was established in 1909, and bringing the railroad to St. Paul - where it would continue on to Bonnyville and then to Saskatchewan - was one of the main election topics of the time.
Politics had halted the construction of the railway at Spedden, and more attention was being given to building the Fort McMurray railroad, "the excuse was lack of labourers to complete the portion to St. Paul," said Bourget. So, some of the businessmen and Chamber of Commerce in St. Paul "took matters into their own hands."
They recruited a workforce to lay the track to the townsite. Photos in the newly opened train station memorialize the work that was done at the time.
October 1920 saw the first locomotive on the constructed tracks enter the town limits, and the first passenger train made its debut on Oct. 21, 1920.
Two grain elevators were constructed soon after the railway was built, and farmers no longer had to haul their grain to Vegreville, Mannville or elsewhere to reach the market.
Bringing the CPR station to St. Paul
A few years ago, the Shandro Historic Village approached the museum with the opportunity to acquire the CPR station that was previously located in Willingdon, since the historic village was no longer operational.
"Relocating this [train] station was no small task," said Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul MLA Scott Cyr, who was in attendance at the event on Sunday.
The building was moved from the Shandro Historic Village on Dec. 14, 2023. The move included several groups that ensured the building made its way safety to the new site, which is located adjacent to the St. Paul Museum on main street.
The train station is "a symbol of the community's growth and the vital role railways played in connecting Alberta's communities," said Cyr, as he thanked everyone who has been involved in this "remarkable project."
County of St. Paul Coun. Dale Hedrick spoke on behalf of the municipality, stating, "Today we celebrate the grand opening of this historic railway station here at the St. Paul Museum - a testament to our region's rich history and the shared effort to preserve it."
He added, the station "now stands as a sanctuary where the past meets the present and inspires the future." He described the train station as being more than a tribute to the past, but also a place of education.
He also offered a special thanks to the many volunteers who continue to work to keep the St. Paul Museum open.
A ribbon cutting featuring several volunteer representatives with the People's Museum then took place to officially open the train station.
Several grants have been received to help with the costs associated with moving and getting the train station ready for people to view. Businesses have stepped forward to help, stated People's Museum president Clem Fontaine, and work continues to be done to fundraise for the large project.
Recognizing long-time volunteers
The day also included a second ceremony that honoured five women who have had lasting impacts on the museum.
Lise Belliveau, president of St. Paul Historical Museum, spoke to the crowd, explaining a recent project meant to pay tribute and memorialize five ladies who were long-time volunteers - Lorraine Hetu, Marie-Anne Marchand, Cecile Bielech, Jeanette Letourneau, and Germaine Champagne.
Several families members of the five ladies were in attendance at the celebration.
Belliveau noted that while there are two museums that exist within the St. Paul Museum facility - the People's Museum and the St. Paul Historical Museum - the role of the historical museum is to represent the history and artifacts of St. Paul and surrounding community. The People's Museum is focused more on an agricultural mandate.
The St. Paul Historical Museum depends on the community to provide artifacts and items that are included in the museum, and this is the museum that the five ladies worked for.
The ladies were like "drill sergeants about the purity of what museum exhibits had to be. They took courses and did all kinds of things to learn the trade," said Belliveau.
A stained glass window, created by local artists Herman Poulin and Eric Spoeth was unveiled on Sunday, near the entrance of the museum. The window includes a photo of the five ladies.
