Waterfront Station - Where the Railway Ended

Waterfront Station - Where the Railway Ended

Photo: Ymblanter, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Vancouver Cruise Day Walk, a free self-guided tour.

This grand columned building was the end of the line. The Canadian Pacific Railway opened it on August 1, 1914, as the Pacific terminus of its transcontinental trains, and passengers who had crossed the whole country by rail stepped out here, with ships waiting to carry them on across the ocean.

The Montreal firm Barott, Blackader and Webster designed it in a neoclassical style, meant to impress travellers arriving at the edge of the continent. Step inside if you have a minute and look at the high ceiling of the main hall and the painted Canadian landscapes up near the top of the walls.

Today it's the city's busiest transit hub, with two SkyTrain lines, the West Coast Express commuter train and the SeaBus ferry to North Vancouver. If you're running short of time later, this is a handy landmark: Canada Place is only a few minutes' walk away.

Getting here: Walk back along the seawall to Coal Harbour and Canada Place, about 35 to 40 minutes, or ride a bike-share bike. Then cross to Cordova Street and the station's columned front.

Did you know?: A short, cheap ride on the SeaBus from here crosses the harbour to Lonsdale Quay in North Vancouver, with a great view back at the skyline.

Photo op: Stand across West Cordova Street to fit the station's full row of columns in the frame.

Nearby: Shops, snacks and restrooms inside the station.

More on Wikipedia: Waterfront station · Canadian Pacific Railway · SeaBus

Stops on this tour

  1. Canada Place - The Ship with Sails
  2. Olympic Cauldron - Vancouver's 2010 Flame
  3. Coal Harbour Seawall - Floatplanes and Yachts
  4. Lost Lagoon - A Lake That Was Once the Sea
  5. Stanley Park Seawall - A Lifetime of Stonework
  6. Brockton Point Totem Poles - Carved Stories
  7. Nine O'Clock Gun - The Cannon That Tells Time
  8. Waterfront Station - Where the Railway Ended
  9. Gastown Steam Clock - Whistles on the Hour
  10. Gaoler's Mews - Vancouver's First Jail
  11. Maple Tree Square - Where Gastown Began
  12. Canada Place Promenade - Back on Board