Description of Historic Place

The Vorce Station is a modest utilitarian passenger tram shelter, originally constructed at the foot of Nursery Street as part of the British Columbia Electric Railway Company's Burnaby Lake Interurban Line. In 1953, it was moved to a local farm by the Lubbock family, and in 1977 it was relocated to the grounds of the Burnaby Village Museum, a single municipally-owned property at 6501 Deer Lake Avenue, Burnaby.

Heritage Value

The Vorce Station is valued as the last remaining interurban station in Burnaby and one of the few extant structures left in the Greater Vancouver region that were once part of the extensive British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) interurban system. The Vorce Station was designed and built by the BCER, and is typical of the small local passenger stations on the Burnaby Lake and Chilliwack interurban lines. The wood frame structure has a rectangular plan and hipped roof. It is enclosed on three sides, with an open side for access to the train platform and a single long built in bench across the back of the station. It was named after C.B. Vorce, the Chief Engineer for the company.

The impact of the interurban line on local development was extremely significant, as it connected the cities of New Westminster and Vancouver, and enabled the residents of Burnaby to form a cohesive municipality from the mainly rural lands remaining between the two larger centres. Much of the early development in Burnaby was due to the growth of the interurban rail lines.

The heritage significance for this station also lies in its interpretive value within the Burnaby Village Museum. The Vorce Station is an important cultural feature for the interpretation of Burnaby's transportation history to the public, and is an important surviving feature of the BCER interurban system.

Source: Heritage Site Files: PC77000 20. City of Burnaby Planning and Building Department, 4949 Canada Way, Burnaby, B.C., V5G 1M2

Character-Defining Elements

The character-defining features of the Vorce Station include its:
- rectangular form and pyramidal roof with overhanging eaves
- simple vernacular design and utilitarian nature
- cedar shingle wall cladding
- cedar shingle clad roof with galvanized pressed tin roof ridges
- interior vertical tongue and groove panelling
- heritage graffiti: initials and messages carved and scrawled on the walls
- identifying sign with large letters visible at a distance