You may have wondered why Jasper Avenue dips down between 109 St and 110 St. It was to go under the Canadian Pacific Rail line. Just north of Jasper Avenue was the downtown CPR Station. I struggle to remember the Station but definitely remember the bridge and large retaining wall along the north side of Jasper Avenue.
With the completion of the High Level Bridge, CPR opened the station on September 2, 1913. The first train took passengers to Wetaskiwin, Camrose, Saskatoon and Winnipeg.
The railway company built the two-storey reinforced concrete structure on land it had purchased in 1909 for the boom-time price of $102,000. The main floor featured a waiting room finished in marble with terrazzo flooring, ticket offices, telegraph and telephone departments and an information bureau. The second floor was dedicated to offices, while the basement held what was known as a "women's retiring room," along with storage and offices.
If you look NW from where you are standing you will be looking in the same direction as the photo below. Note the streetcar and the rail lines. At one time there was a full four way rail crossing at this intersection. The picture was taken in 1913.
The following photo was taken looking the same way in 1919. It shows the station surrounded by hundreds of troops returning from the Great War. It’s a remarkable image that captures not only the history of the moment, but also the role that the station played in the lives of Edmontonians.
CPR discontinued its passenger service to the north side of the river in 1972 and six years later the station was demolished. The railway closed most of its downtown operations by 1984, and in 1992 the bridge over Jasper Avenue at 109th Street was dismantled and the pieces shipped to Fort Edmonton Park.
Portions from Herzog Heritage. http://www.edmontonheritage.ca/herzog-on-heritage/edmontons-lost-railways/