Doors Open Markham
Visit Markham Village Train Station and learn about its history during the annual Doors Open event.
Doors Open Markham
Visit Markham Village Train Station and learn about its history during the annual Doors Open event.
Markham Village Train Station, 1871
214 Main Street Markham N
This station was built during the golden age of railway development in Canada. The former Canadian National Railways (CNR) station was built in 1871 by the Toronto and Nipissing Railway Company and was the first publicly-operating, narrow-gauge railway in North America. The station was built according to a 'basic standard plan' and was later extended and remodelled several times, reflecting the ebbs and flows in prominence of the railway in Markham.
This station is an early and rare example of a rural station with an exceptional operator's bay. Closed to the public in the early 1990s and threatened with demolition by CN, the station was purchased by the then Town of Markham. It was later restored to the c. 1910 period through a partnership with GO Transit and the Markham Village Conservancy (MVC), a citizen group that initiates projects to strengthen the sense of community in Markham Village and conserve the heritage and natural elements of the Village.
The restoration work was coordinated by the City's Markham Station Task Force. The building was put on a new foundation which allowed the soil under the station to be remediated. The exterior paint colour scheme is representative of when the station was part of the Grand Trunk Railway.
The unveiling ceremony of the restored station took place in September 2001. It is now used as a transit station, and for community programming and meeting space administered by MC. The former waiting room at the north end of the station now includes the original stove used for heating the area while the former baggage area at the south end features a large rentable space. The property has been designated by the City under the Ontario Heritage Act.
