Canora’s CN Station House Museum and Visitor Centre has become one of the focal points of the community, said Community Development Officer Brandi Zavislak.
Starting on June 15 this year, the centre will be hosting the Canora Farmers Market weekly through to the end of August, said Zavislak. June 15 will also mark the opening of the centre for the summer months. The opening will include the popular Farmers Stew, put on by the Canora Tourism Committee.
Regular summer hours at the Visitor Centre will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on weekdays and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays, she said. They are in the process of hiring a summer student to make sure visitors are well looked after.
One event the Visitor Centre will host together with the rest of the community is the annual Canora in Bloom, said Zavislak. This year’s event will run from July 17 to 22 and will once again feature daily family friendly events put on by a variety of community groups.
The story of Canora’s CN Station House Museum and Visitor Centre goes back to 1904, said Zavislak. The original Station was built at the corner of Main Street and Railway Avenue for the cost of $5,000. At the time the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad Depot at the south end of Canora was abandoned. The Main Street and Railway Avenue location was much more preferable for railroad traffic because it was closer to businesses located in the centre of Canora.
Over time Canora became the junction point where all traffic converged for The Pas and Hudson’s Bay. Thus Canora eventually became known as the Gateway to the Bay.
The preservation and refurbishing of the Museum and Visitor Centre were accomplished for the most part because of a dedicated core of volunteers, said Zavislak. Back in the mid to late 1990’s, Canora received notice from CN Northern that the aging Station House would be demolished unless something was done with it. At this point a group of about 10 determined Canora volunteers calling themselves the All Aboard Committee, including Joy Stusek, took it upon themselves to restore and preserve this historical facility.
Initially they did a bit of work each year, but the project took on momentum and eventually grant money became available to make things easier, said Stusek. Even today the Centre continues to rely heavily on the dedication of its volunteers as it helps attract tourists to Canora.
