17 December 2008
Historic Don Rail Station Moves to a New Home in Roundhouse Park
Flatbed truck moves the CPR historic station to its second new
home (after Queen and the Don) from Todmorden Mills to the John Street Roundhouse National Historic Site.
Toronto Ontario - The historic Don Rail Station that stood on the grounds of
Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre for
40 years has been moved by flatbed trucks to a new
permanent location in Roundhouse Park, adjacent to
the John Street Roundhouse National Historic Site.
Prior to its installation at Todmorden
Mills, the Don Rail Station stood at the Don River
and Queen Street East where, from 1896 to 1967, it
served Canadian Pacific Railway passenger trains travelling
between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal, although use
of the station began to decline during the 1930s.
The station was removed from active service in 1967. In 1969, with the help of long-time East York
mayor True Davidson, it was moved to Todmorden
Mills to save it from demolition. The buildings
that are original to Todmorden Mills once comprised a small industrial community which supplied lumber, beer,
paper and flour to the growing city of Toronto.
Sections of the dismantled station (roof,
turret, divided main structure) were lifted onto
flatbed trucks and driven to Roundhouse Park where
the structure will be properly restored, displayed and
interpreted as a feature of the new Toronto Railway
Heritage Centre that, in its later phases, will
link to a rail history interpretive presence at Union Station, the Skywalk, and other rail points of
interest from Cherry Street to Bathurst Street. The
first phase of the centre is scheduled to open in
2009.
Todmorden Mills Heritage Museum and Arts Centre is one of 10 historic museums
operated by the City of Toronto.
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