French River train station celebrates its centennial

A French River train station celebrates 100 years A former train station in the French River is marking a centennial celebration. Amanda Hicks has more.

A former train station in French River is marking its 100th anniversary.

Formerly owned and operated by Canadian Pacific Railway, the station opened in 1923, serving as the sole transportation for passengers and supplies to northern Ontario. Highway 69 and other major routes did not exist during that time.

Lloyd Smith purchased the station in 2006 and transformed it into a home.

“It was quite a gathering point for years,” he said.

“The train ran like a bus service and would stop at every little station along the line and take them to Sudbury, Parry Sound and back again.”

The train station was the primary point to offload guests staying at luxury, exclusive accommodations called ‘Bungalow Cabins,’ said to have had celebrity guests from the likes of Marilyn Monroe and Clark Gable.

Smith, who has the original brochures for the cabins, told CTV News it costed roughly five dollars a week.

“There are a lot of stories about who went through there and the most-well known was Marilyn Monroe,” he said.

Gisèle Pageau, Mayor of the French River, said at the time, the station was the link between the people who lived in the municipality and the rest of the world – adding the train station was fundamental in the region’s growth.

“There were no roads, there was no highway 69 back then, no Highway 64,” she said.

“Everything was done by horse and buggy, in order to get supplies, they’d have to go to the train station because the train would stop here so any building supplies, any food supplies, so that’s how our lodges got built.”

The train station operated until the 40s and stopped seeing passengers after Highway 69 was built, as it was deemed redundant. It was then turned into a store and put on the market in the 90s.

Smith said he and his wife were drawn to it because of its history. The station has historical designation, and he said it took a lot of work to turn it into a home – but “it was worth it.”

“It’s one of a kind. There’s no other train station with the lodge atmosphere to it,” he said.

“When people offloaded from the station they’d get the lodge feeling immediately as soon as they came the doors here and you can see why.”