Kitimat station supported the transportation of both passengers and goods, as well as the provision of telegraph and radio communication services

KITIMAT, BC, April 29, 2024 /CNW/ - Railway stations in Canada are recognizable landmarks that mean different things to different people. They are iconic structures that represent the links between people, communities, and opportunities. They are also tangible reminders of colonial expansion and the impacts infrastructure construction had on Indigenous communities and the environment. The designation of Heritage Railway Stations ensures their protection as a means of remembering the roles that they have played in our shared history.

Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced the designation of Kitimat station under the Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act. Designated heritage railway stations are protected from unauthorized alteration, sale, transfer, or disposal. Heritage railway stations are found in communities both large and small throughout Canada and represent important aspects of Canada's history.

In 1955, the Canadian National Railway (CNR) built its station in Kitimat at the request of Alcan in order to export aluminum ingots from its nearby smelter site, import materials, and transport workers and their families. Many newcomers to Canada from a variety of geographic and ethnic origins, including Portuguese, Italians, Hungarians, Greeks, Germans, and Scandinavians, used the railway line to access jobs and their new life in Kitimat. Although its passenger services ended in the spring of 1958, the station continued to serve as a telegraph office until the 1970s.

The building of the station and the Alcan smelting site significantly impacted local Indigenous communities. The hydroelectric dam built by Alcan on the Nechako River, flooded large areas of homelands, forests, farmlands, and recreational areas, forcing the Cheslatta T'en First Nation to leave their territory at very short notice with minimal compensation. Meanwhile, the approximately 200 Haisla people living near the proposed townsite at Kitimat were only minimally considered by Alcan planners and managers.

In addition to designating heritage railway stations, the Government of Canada, through the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, recognizes significant persons, places, and events that have shaped our country as one way of helping Canadians connect with their past. By sharing these stories, we hope to foster understanding and reflection on the diverse histories, cultures, legacies, and realities of Canada's past and present.

The designation process under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration is largely driven by public nominations. To date, more than 2,240 designations have been made nationwide. To nominate a person, place or historic event in your community, please visit the Parks Canada website for more information: https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/culture/clmhc-hsmbc/ncp-pcn/application.

"Serving as a vital connection on the Canadian National Railway line, Kitimat station transported passengers and goods, provided important communication services, and supported the local economy. The construction of the site, and associated infrastructure development, also had resounding impacts on the Haisla and Cheslatta T'en First Nations. It is only through sharing the whole story, that we recognize and appreciate the truth of our shared history with Indigenous peoples. Heritage designations reflect the rich and varied perspectives of the story of Canada, and I encourage all Canadians to learn more about the Kitimat Heritage Railway Station."

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada

• Kitimat is in the territory of the Haisla people and is located at the head of the Douglas Channel, about 800 km north of Vancouver. The Haisla, meaning "dwellers downriver," have occupied their traditional territory since time immemorial, living off the land and water resources of their territory. The Haisla village of Kitamaat is located south of the town of Kitimat.
• The Kitimat station illustrates the mid-twentieth century modernization of CNR's approach to architecture and branding in its fusion of Modernist architectural characteristics with attributes common to historic CNR stations and domestic architecture.
• Since the Heritage Railway Stations Protection Act was proclaimed into law in 1990, over 150 heritage railway stations have been designated across Canada. The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada, with support from Parks Canada, evaluates eligible railway stations based on criteria such as architectural and historical significance and then makes a recommendation for designation to the Minister responsible for Parks Canada (Minister of Environment and Climate Change).
• Created in 1919, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada advises the Minister of Environment and Climate Change regarding the national significance of persons, places, and events that have marked Canada's history. Together with Parks Canada, the Board ensures that subjects of national historic significance are recognized under Parks Canada's National Program of Historical Commemoration and these important stories are shared with Canadians.

Backgrounder: Kitimat Heritage Railway Station

Parks Canada
Heritage railway stations of Canada
Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada
Framework for History and Commemoration

SOURCE Parks Canada (HQ)