Company Houses
Railway companies were well-known for building their own
stations all across Canada as well as section houses spaced
along subdivisions to house sectionmen's motorcars and trailers to maintain
sections of track often seven miles long.
Walking in one direction and going by hand car (later on motor cars)
in opposite direction alternating every other day.
Thousands of miles of track often through sparsely populated areas requiring
work at all hours and days meant having a
home close by especially in a time and places where roads and cars were
rudimentary. Stations often housed at least one
family (usually the agent) while one or more houses built close by housed
sectionmen and operators.
Additionally, ordinary houses were built in cities and
towns to house officials who were often transferred from place to place
as often as every two years to build their experience which led to promotion.
This was also used to keep employees from getting too friendly with
their boss which could lead to slack work effort and discipline. It
was also used to demote or punish an official sending them off to some
wilderness terminal. Example; transferring a CPR General Locomotive
Foreman from
John Street in downtown Toronto to White River! FORTY below zero territory!
Toronto had several CPR houses along the north side of
Marborough Avenue in North Toronto (west side of Yonge Street).
They were bought from owners who complained about noise of trains and
rented out to people who were thereby silenced.
At least one was rented to a high rnking Company official whose bedside
telephone had a switch that allowed him to change
to the Company telephone line running along the track and speak directly
with the Terminal Supervisor (Dispatcher).
West Toronto had a number of CPR houses along the north
side of Maria (ma-rye-ah) Street east of Runnymede Road next to the
Galt Sub. main line. Both these houses and those in North Toronto still
exist as do others elsewhere.
CPR
BC
Premiere Residence B&B, 117 17th Avenue S, Cranbrook, BC
Originally CPR Company house used by CPR Official.
Located close to Cranbrook Yard and The
Canadian Museum of Rail Travel
plus Prestige Inn a former CPR sleeping car.
Ontario
Echo Bay, ON Company house rented by Station Agent.
M. 116.2 Thessalon Sub. (15 miles east of "The Soo").
Shown here in 2003 after closure of station in 1977. Art Gallery. Currently
(2020) a residence.
New Brunswick
Duplex residences five of which were located here built
circa 1899 approved by W.C.Van Horne.
Designated as a Local Historic Place. 30 Lake Avenue, Mc.Adam, NB
This 1 1/2 storey house at 10 Rockland Dr. designated
as a Local Historic Place.was one of 10 alternating between
one and one and half storey houses built by or for CPR c.1899 in what
was known as the Klondike area of the
Village of Mc.Adam Junction. A grand total of 33 single and double houses
were built in the village.
This substantial two and a half storey house was built 1900 for CPR's
Master Mechanic.
Designated as a Local Historic Place at 101 Saunders Rd. across from
the station in Mc.Adam.
CPR Section Houses
