Almost half-way between Montreal and Ottawa, in less than one hour by car, you can find amazing historical sites in Montebello which include the Manoir Papineau, the famous Chateau Montebello, the church and the old decommissioned train station as well as being close to parks and falls which are within a few minutes by car and will complete your day in this area.

Well, let’s focus on our subject: the train station.  Today, you can find the station in the center of the village, not next to the tracks but next to the Manoir Papineau which is also the ticket purchase location for the Manoir.  In the station, you can also find the Chocolate Ecomuseum. A very delicious stop!  I should have purchased more. Very good quality. Ok, Ok, back to the subject.

The station is not at its original location nor is it the first in the city, I’ll get back to it.  The first train station in the village was built in 1877 and was bought by Canadian Pacific in 1881, like many other stations.  The town seems an ideal location for development to many promoters due to the access to the water.  The current building was constructed in 1931 with the British Columbian surplus of red cedar logs from the Chateau Montebello.   The look-alike style made it as unique as the Chateau which claims to be the largest log building in the world.  No wonder the citizens raised their voices to keep the train station alive.  After its closure in 1981, Canadian Pacific requested, as part of the sales agreement, to move the building. This was executed in 1989 and it now sits next to the Manoir Papineau and in close proximity to the chateau.

Due to the prestigious reputation as the youngest CPR hotel, it was a popular destination.  People from all around used the train to reach the peaceful resort which was available all four seasons.

The logs of the Chateau and train station came, not from local forestry, but all the way from British Columbia, by train of course. The red cedar logs, installed horizontally,surely gives a unique rustic cachet to both buildings.

The station is next to a beautiful park if you have your lunch with you. 

Note: at the chocolate museum/store you can also find chocolate for diabetes.