Description of Historic Place

The Union Station is a Provincial Heritage Property comprising a large urban lot in the City of Regina. The property features a large, three-storey building constructed of Tyndall Stone in a simplified Beaux-Arts Classical style. The station was adapted for reuse as a casino in 1995.

Heritage Value

The heritage value of Union Station lies in its association with the development of the railway system in Saskatchewan. For 70 years, Union Station served as both the regional office for several railway companies and the main junction for passenger service in Saskatchewan. Constructed in 1911 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) Assistant Chief Engineer’s Office in Winnipeg, Union Station accommodated both the rail service and the divisional headquarters for the CPR and the Canadian Northern Railway. Increasing rail traffic soon necessitated the expansion of the station. Two minor additions to the baggage facilities extended the east and west wings during the 1920s. A major expansion was undertaken in 1931 under the direction of J.F. Orroch, Construction Engineer for the CPR at Montreal, during which Union Station assumed the monumental look which reflects its status as one of the premier railway stations in Saskatchewan.

The heritage value of Union Station also lies in its architecture. As Regina was a major junction on the CPR mainline, Union Station was designed to exude the importance and modernity of the railway. A passenger arriving on a train would have been confronted by a Neo-Classical façade clad in cut stone that emphasized the station’s key place in the rail-system. This façade is characterized by high stone relief and includes a Roman arch surmounting the original entranceway. The elegance of the exterior is continued in the grand hall dominated by a vaulted ceiling and three large art deco chandeliers framed by detailed plasterwork. These decorative elements complement several functional elements, such as the ticket counters. During the 1931 expansion, terrazzo floors, marble support columns and plaster molded ceilings heightened the grandeur of the interior. Exiting the station, a passenger would pass through a two-storey archway, the centerpiece of the Tyndall Stone façade facing downtown Regina. This façade exhibits a simplified, but monumental, Beaux-Arts influence. The classical nature of the building is emphasized by fluted stone pilasters and a prominent cornice.

The heritage value of Union Station resides in its association with the development of Regina. Prior to the widespread use of automobiles, the railway was the major access point to the city. Exiting the station, a passenger would immediately be confronted with a view of the length of Rose Street and the breadth of Railway Avenue (now Saskatchewan Drive), which runs parallel to the station’s façade. These two major roadways were important arteries in Regina’s road system. The largest and most important businesses in Regina were located within a few blocks of Union Station, many along these two streets, illustrating the importance of the railway to the city.

Sources:

Province of Saskatchewan, Notice of Intention to Designate as Provincial Heritage Property under The Heritage Property Act, March 31, 1999.

Province of Saskatchewan, Order to Designate as Provincial Heritage Property under The Heritage Property Act, August 10, 1999.

Character-Defining Elements

The heritage value of the Union Station lies in the following character defining elements:
-those elements that reflect Union Station’s historic use as a railway station, including the layout of the entrance hall including the stairwell and departures board, exterior signage and the freight doors;
-those elements that reflect Union Station’s architecture, including the symmetrical façade, flatented pilasters, decorative carved arch above the main entryway, interior plaster work and the art-deco fixtures including the chandeliers;
-those elements that reflect the monumental scale of the property, including the massing, rectangular form and extensive use of stone on the exterior façade;
-those elements that reflect Union Station’s association with the development of Regina, including the building’s orientation at the end of the vista of Rose Street.