Old Time Trains

Canadian Pacific Railway

Leaside (formerly Leaside Junction)

Originally Leaside then Leaside Junction, this point was renamed in 1915 following
incorporation of the Town of Leaside (Population 43) April 23,1913.

Leaside Junction station opened September 1894, looking east. Collection of Don Mc. Cartney

Old Leaside station 1899, looking west, stairway to street at far end. Canadian Pacific Archives.

Circa 1945 George Horner/John Mellow Collection

Summer 1945 looking south. Major hydro-electric station in background.
The late Hugh (Bud) Martin, courtesy of John Martin.

Building the New Leaside Station

Official opening November 23, 1946 of the new Leaside station valued at $145,000. N.R.Crump, Vice President and General Manager, Eastern Lines is at the microphone, along with Leaside mayor H.H.Talbot. Also present were about 100-125 people. (Pop.11,000).
CPR Staff Bulletin January 1947

First CP Express shipment
arriving just before opening.

The original station was replaced in 1946 with a very modern style of station that CPR was building at various locations including Owen Sound, Marathon, Red Rock, White River, in Ontario and elsewhere. It was closed as an Agency, February 28, 1973. Once used by many trains it last served a few commuters using the Havelock Budd Car until its discontinuance by VIA Rail in September 1982. Between 1975 and 1983 (closed May 29th) it operated as the Village Station Restaurant owned by CP Hotels. It was the first of a planned series of such restaurants. Several old passenger cars were incorporated into it. It was not very successful for a number of reasons not the least of which was the food. Since it was owned by CP Hotels people no doubt associated that with the Royal York. Unfortunately, you didn't get Royal York quality food since it was prepared by Cara Foods who also supplied CP Air. The other factor was its somewhat out of the way location, which wasn't easy to find. It did a good lunch business due to area workers, but it wasn't sufficient to keep it going. Some of the passenger cars wound up at the Ossawippi Express Dining Cars in Orillia to expand it. It changed hands a number of times but eventually failed and was bankrupt April 1, 2010. Some cars were disbursed and others scrapped as late as 2017. Following this the former station was rebuilt in 1984 into offices for the CCAC (Customer Credit and Accounts Centre), a centralized freight accounting office which took over from local station agents. It too ended some years later with further centralization after which it was used as the CPR Police office when they moved out of Union Station. In April of 2009 the property was sold to the province for future GO service.

New Leaside station, from west end. (Hydro sub-station behind). Train order board at red for eastbounds.
November 1946. Canadian Pacific Archives.

Both train order boards are set at clear indicating no orders for trains in either direction. April 8,1955
That two-tone Ford looks to be a 1949-50-51. It also appears in a photo the next day at West Toronto.
Could it be Salmon's? The Ford in the background a 1952-53.
Toronto Public Library/James V. Salmon Collection

March 21, 1965 Collection of Al Paterson