Train Stations: Viking Alberta

Today we’re looking at the restored train station in Viking Alberta, dating back to 1909 and now home to a gallery and arts centre. It still functions as a railway depot of sorts, and every once in a while, Via’s Canadian will stop to pick someone up or drop them off. It doesn’t happen often, however, so while it still looks the part, it doesn’t really function in that sense.

The venerable old building has been moved back from the (very active) tracks somewhat – for public safety – but otherwise on the same plot of land where built long ago. Originally belonging to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, it later became a Canadian National Railways property, then when Via Rail took over passenger service, it was used by them a time. Later it got boarded up and forgotten about before being rescued last minute.

The building sits right at the most important intersection in downtown and in the day a centre of activity. Not that many generations ago the railway was a vital link to the outside world and the station always occupied a prominent position, usually at the end of Main Street. Or what ever they called Main Street – in many prairie towns, Viking included, it was 50th. Huh? Newly established communities often used big street numbers to appear more important than they were. But anyway, everything came and went by train.

The night before, Via’s westbound Canadian drops by.

Via Rail still stops here as mentioned, once in while, if notified in advance, but most of the time they pass right on by. The Canadian transcontinental only runs a couple times a week in each direction (the only passenger run past here) and rarely anywhere close to scheduled times, so for your average traveller it’s not really an option. Mostly the train functions as a rolling hotel for people in no particular hurry and in that regard seems to work well.

There’s a small waiting platform here at the station for those taking the train, and that’s your passenger facilities.

The night of our arrival in Viking we had a little dumb luck, as it happens. There on the siding and seemingly waiting just for us, it’s none other than Via’s westbound Canadian, not here for a station stop but rather waiting for a few opposing freights to pass. If one were to refer to the schedule, it was supposed visit Viking hours before our arrival, but running late. That’s pretty typical for the run and if you look at their track record will see it’s often well behind the published times. Here it happened as a happy coincidence, so we’re not complaining.

That the lights were on in the cars allowed us a view inside and it was shockingly almost empty – a literal ghost train. Not good. Covid saw the run cancelled for a year or two and perhaps they’re still feeling the aftershocks of that game changing event. The pandemic decimated a lot of businesses and truth be told, we didn’t even know Via reinstated the run.

As it turned out the eastbound was scheduled to show the next night, the night of our shoot (right at sunset too) and this unexpected but welcome news. We we’re clueless on that too until it was mentioned by our contact. But the big question, would it be on time? The train’s notorious for running late, but yet we believed. The Canadian is coming! The CNANADIAN is COMING! Silly us and as it played out, it passed long after we went to bed…and now we’ve lost faith in everything…

There was plenty of freight action to keep us entertained, so it’s wasn’t a total wash. The trains come and go quickly and are of gargantuan proportions. Many were approaching two hundred cars long and to see something of that size moving at such incredible speeds is almost unbelievable. How do they do it?

The elevated Via waiting area or Troll Park on the station old grounds, are a safe space to watch the action.

The Grand Trunk Pacific came through Viking in 1909 and the building dates from this time. The trains came and the towns were often established concurrently, which might seem like a puzzling cart before the horse type approach. But it worked, especially on the prairies.

The GTP was an ambitious undertaking, built to high standards and when completed connected Winnipeg Manitoba to Prince Rupert British Columbia and all points in between. The line was completed by the mid-1910s, but construction burdened the company with much debt and this soon put them on shaky ground. Rescued by the feds, the GTP was folded in Canadian National Railways about 1920, along with a number of other lines teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.

The station was built to a standard design and there used to hundreds of similar structures scattered across the GTP system. Now a handful are left and most have similarly been re-purposed like we see here.

When built the station would have had a waiting room for passengers, a baggage and express area and a workspace overlooking the tracks for the station agent. This person typically lived in an apartment upstairs, which are offices now. This was a pretty typical layout for the times. A bay window afforded the fellow a good line of sight up and down the tracks.

In addition to selling passenger tickets, they handled baggage and local express packages. Before FedEx or Purolater, you shipped by railway. Other tasks entrusted to them included issuing money orders, running the telegraph (once an important communication link to the outside world), relayed instructions to train crews and did the paperwork for local freight customers. They kept busy and their role an important one.

Today, the waiting room and the agent’s workspace have been restored and the the rest of the building devoted to a combo classroom/work space/cafe (the old baggage/express room location) and art galley. Out front a sign welcomes you to the Station Gallery & Arts Centre.

By the 1990s, the building was unneeded and boarded up in a derelict state. There it was, something once immeasurably important to the needs of the community, forgotten of and an eyesore. This was not unique to Viking and anywhere the trains went (and back then, it was almost everywhere) saw something similar happen. Passenger trains were cut back, and in many places eliminated altogether, certain operations centralized, and many local jobs lost as a result. Most stations were then torn down or sold off when no longer needed.

In more recent memory the Viking station was fixed up, moved back a bit and transformed into what we see today. It was almost a last minute reprieve and had the people behind it not acted when they did, it likely wouldn’t have lasted much longer. We’re told certain sections of the building were almost beyond saving and much work was need to get it back into ship-shape condition. Maintenance is always on going and they’re currently fundraising for a new roof of the building. If you can help, they’re sure appreciate it.

The town’s big blue watertower towers casts it’s shadow over the building, and just down the tracks, the grain terminal, surely tallest thing in town, does similarly.

Yet another train passes, then there’s one more, and soon we loose count. This is CN’s transcontinental Canada mainline and a busy stretch of track. The ground shakes as they pass, then it’s quiet and still again till the next arrives. The wait is never long.

There’s not much going on in downtown and it seems we’re the only ones about. That next morning it’s one final shot showing the front town facing side of the station. Oops, we forgot to get one from that angle the night before.

The Viking Station Gallery & Arts Centre has affiliations with the Canadian Northern Society and these folks are the force behind the preservation of many historic railway-relayed buildings in central Alberta. They’re a hard working and dedicated bunch that we greatly admire. The Canadian Northern, incidentally, was one of the other railways folded into Canadian National. It and the Grand Trunk Pacific went many of the same places and were bitter competitors prior to the marriage, but had they not hooked up, it would have resulted in collapse for both.

The trains fly through town.

Readers might recognize the Canadian Northern Society name from this website and seen posts we’ve done on their various locations. Here: An Evening in Meeting Creek, Big Valley’s Train Station and Big Valley Roundhouse

Viking was established in 1909, with the arrival of the railway, and present day home to about a thousand people. Many early settlers were of Scandinavian origin and the town named in honour of those legendary Norse Warriors of old. Personal recommendation: the meat shop on the west side has some amazingly yummy offerings sure to satisfy your inner carnivore. Mmmmm, pepperoni to die for.

So ends this adventure. Prior to Viking we paid a visit to the Canadian Northern Society’s station museum in nearby Camrose and will be posting about it soon. Stay tuned.

Know more about what’s been seen here (new windows): Viking Station Gallery & Arts Centre and Canadian Northern Society.

Stop by often for new and interesting content posted regularly.

They’re saying…

“Quite fascinating and I love the photos on your website!” Mark Hopkins (don’t forget the write-ups too).

Friends with the Canadian Northern Society…
Hanna Roundhouse.

Check out the museum in town…
Museum Tour: Viking Alberta.

Down by the station…
Coutts Sweetgrass Train Depot – It once straddled the Canada/US border.
Moose Jaw SK then and now – CPR train station – Then & Now time!

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: May 2022.
Location: Viking, AB.
Article references and thanks: Shawn Smith @ Canadian Northern Society and the Viking Station Gallery & Arts Centre.

Where the station agent did their work.

Classroom, workshop and sometimes café.

The little details.

So many wonderful works on display.

Silly stuff.

And the big blue water tower.

The station’s been here next to the tracks since 1909.

On the ground in Viking Alberta, and it’s shaking…

The building was in poor shape prior to restoration.

Before Fedex and Purolater, there was CN Express.

The view from Via’s little waiting platform.

Between trains, it’s quiet and still.

Welcoming you to the Station Gallery & Arts Centre.

The building has been moved back from the tracks a bit.

Nothing much going on downtown.

The former station grounds are now Troll Park.

Then there’s this guy…

All quiet on a Sunday morning.