The Portage la Prairie CP Rail Station is a 117 year-old building that was still being used by the company's train and maintenance crews until it was damaged by fire on November 1, 2002. Shortly after, a few people began pondering the future of the station, as they recognized the building's historical significance to the community. A public invitation was extended to anyone interested in discussing the possibilities for the preservation of the station if CP Rail did not plan to repair and continue use of it.

After gathering as much public input as possible, a committee was formed to organize the task of approaching Canadian Pacific Railway to determine their intentions for the station, and express interest in preserving the building in its current location -- if the fire damage was not too severe. When all formalities after the fire investigation were completed, CP Rail officials arranged for a few committee members to assess the building's condition.

The committee feels that the historical value of the station is worth repairing the fire damage and restoring the building. A proper feasibility study has been completed, which outlines the funding and work required, as well as the proposed business plan and usage of the restored station.

Please continue to browse the other pages of this website to learn more about the station: it's history, it's current status, and it's future as the Canadian Pacific Railway Heritage Park & Interpretive Centre.

Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train:

The 2011 Holiday Train will be stopping in Portage la Prairie during its 13th annual tour across Canada to assist the local food bank in collecting food and money donations. The train will be decorated with hundreds of thousands of festive LED lights, and will present a brief musical concert before continuing on its way.

The train is scheduled to stop adjacent to Centennial Arena on Sunday, December 4th at 3:45pm (may be subject to change, please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes early). Please remember to bring either a non-perishable food item or monetary donation for the food bank.

For more information about the train and its mission, click here to visit the Holiday Train pages of Canadian Pacific Railway's website.