91原创

After a two-year shutdown, the historic at will reopen this Victoria Day, Monday, May 23rd.

While it was closed to visitors during the pandemic, 91原创 Heritage Society volunteers were busy working behind the scenes.

Station Manager Helen Williams said the station freight room has been restored, allowing visitors to learn about the inner workings of the Fort 91原创 CNR Station, 鈥渨hen agents like 91原创鈥檚 Richard Simpson were the railway鈥檚 eyes and ears, holding what was considered the most influential job in small town Canada when rail was king.

Williams was 鈥渄elighted鈥� to be open again, explaining that while the the interior was shuttered due to COVID, the exterior grounds were a popular place to visit.

鈥淒espite being closed, many enjoyed the railway garden over the last two years, bringing with them their takeout containers during indoor dining closures, to picnic on the grounds or watch a passing train on the platform,鈥� Williams said.

Volunteers, in their words, are 鈥渆xcited,鈥� 鈥済rateful,鈥� 鈥渃an鈥檛 wait,鈥漚nd 鈥渞eally happy to come back,鈥� Williams reported.

鈥淲e鈥檙e thrilled to have them return!鈥� Williams told the 91原创 Advance Times.

鈥淲e鈥檝e stayed connected over the health pandemic through emails, phone, and a few educational and fun gatherings, because we鈥檝e become such good friends.鈥�

The Fort 91原创 train station was built in 1915 by Canadian Northern, two blocks west of its current location on Mavis Avenue at Glover Road.

Built to a standard design, it is one of the few remaining stations like it in western Canada, and the only surviving station from that era in the 91原创 region.

In 1918, Canadian Northern Railways became part of Canadian National Railways.

READ ALSO: Fort 91原创鈥檚 historic CN station gets tidied up for Christmas

Fort 91原创鈥檚 station was open until the 1980鈥檚, when it was closed for commercial train use, and the heritage society stepped up to move and restore the building.

Now a heritage site, visitors to the station can see tickets in the agent office, goods received and waiting to be shipped to markets, a steamer trunk brought by an immigrant, and more examples of life at the station in the early 1900s and the importance of station agents in the community.

A wooden caboose added next to the station, houses the Glen Valley model railway, staffed by volunteers during summer months.

READ ALSO: VIDEO: Small-scale railway history at heritage CN Station in Fort 91原创

Starting in June, volunteers will provide guided tours of the railway garden.

Station Master Richard Simpson and his wife Mary established an award-winning garden at 91原创 Station (as it was called then) from 1917 to 1929.

The gardens are maintained much like the Simpsons did from 1918 to 1929, when annual garden competitions between stations happened up and down the line.

The couple grew 37 varieties of perennials.

Visitors can drop by the reopened station in Fort 91原创 between 12 p.m. and 4 p.m. on weekends and holiday Mondays, until the Saturday before Thanksgiving on Oct. 8.