Canadian Railway History in Haliburton

Trains to Haliburton were primarily freight with a passenger car added. In its best year for traffic, which was 1880, the Victoria Railway carried 74,600 tons of freight and 68,390 passengers for a revenue of $83,580. Passenger service to Haliburton continued until 1972, with freight services going on demand until 1978. Excursion trains, to see autumn leaves, ran until 1970. Station agents were taken off in 1964. Train service ended all together when a long bridge at McLarens Creek burned to the waterline in July 1980. It was considered too expensive to replace. Tracks were torn up in 1983 and 1984. In 1979 The Haliburton Highlands Guild of Fine Arts undertook the restoration of the station to preserve railway history in this region. At that time, the building became the new home of the Rails End Gallery.

15 years later, with one side of the building deteriorating significantly due to rot caused by run off from York Street, the building underwent extensive renovations.

The station was moved onto a permanent foundation with upgraded plumbing, electrical and heating systems, and new accessiblility features were added.