Camrose - the Railway City

While the CNoR experienced success with its profitable prairie branch lines, financial problems caused by the onset of the first World War and zealous over-expansion led to its nationalization by the Dominion Government in December 1918.  By that time, the GTP was in even worse financial shape – saddled with debt and never handling the traffic expectations of its federal promoters.  As a result, in 1924, the CNoR and GTP were amalgamated to create the Canadian National Railways (CNR).  At Camrose, this resulted in the consolidation of the CNoR and GTP lines through town, with the GTP station – which was located just east of the present-day Grace Lutheran Church (53rd street and 50th avenue) – being closed in favour of the CNoR depot, and the GTP line running through town and across Mirror Lake removed.  A large wooden trestle crossing the Battle River near Duhamel was thus no longer required, and it was dismantled in 1926.

In the 1920s, Camrose stood only second to Edmonton as a CNR point in the province. Ten regularly-scheduled CNR passenger trains passed through town daily, plus coal trains servicing the Drumheller and Brazeau mines, together with “extra” freights. The CNR Alliance Branch was extended to connect with Youngstown in 1930.

Following World War II, the development of an all-weather highway system and increasing reliance on private trucks and automobiles reduced the public’s dependence on railways. The last CPR passenger train known as the “Great West Express” was discontinued by 1960, and the VIA passenger Railliner operating between Edmonton and Drumheller via Camrose was discontinued in late 1981.  Although Camrose’s importance as a railway centre was considerably diminished - the City remained a key administrative and commercial centre for the surrounding farm districts, and both CPR and Canadian National continued to be important to the community handling agricultural and manufactured goods such as steel pipe to market.

Today, the freight handled by the CNR and CPR remains very important to Camrose, handling the produce of local farmers, including thousands of carloads of canola meal and oil which leave the community’s Cargill crush plant each year.  In addition, CPR through trains between Edmonton and Winnipeg continue to pass through the city - the CPR being Camrose’s oldest continuously operated business.  The railway heritage of Camrose is also actively preserved by the Canadian Northern Society, a volunteer-led local group that has since 1992 been active in the conservation of the 1911 Canadian Northern Railway depot located in the Augustana neighbourhood, complete with gardens and historic railway structures and artifacts.  The Camrose Heritage Railway Station is a significant attraction in the community for residents and visitors.   

In the Stony Creek Valley, the original CNoR line from Camrose to its crossing with the Battle River remains in service, and each day trains to and from places such as Prince Rupert, Vancouver, Calgary, Winnipeg and points in-between ply the “Camrose Hill” as it is known to railroaders.  From south to north, the line climbs a 0.6% grade, challenging even modern locomotives as it did during the days of steam.

The park system in the Stony Creek valley provides a great and safe vantage for viewing these modern trains – often up to 10,000 feet in length. 

While the city of Camrose subsequently adopted the wild rose as its municipal symbol, it could have just as easily chosen the “iron horse” since the community developed on the strength of the railway.  Its early sobriquet, “The Town That was Born Lucky,” was indeed apt, but perhaps an even more accurate title might have been, “Camrose:  The Railway City.”