Beauty Forgotten

Union Station Ottawa

Ottawa went from being a small logging town to the nations capital suddenly and this meant Ottawa had a bright future in store. However the city was lacking in almost every necessity of a capital city and it wasnt long before a proper train station, known as Union Station, would be built right in the heart of Ottawa a short distance from Parliament Hill. Union Station served for years welcoming incoming trains of foreign dignitaries and even royalty and sits today on the iconic Confederation Square, just across the street from the famous Chateau Laurier. Construction was completed in 1912, the same year as the completion of the Chateau Laurier and stood a monument amongst the smaller petty buildings from before the government moved to the city.

 The inside of Union Station is full of towering columns and arched ceilings with windows two stories tall. The halls are replicas of the roman baths of Caracalla. The grandeur of this station has not been enough to save it however and due to the issues of trains running through downtown, it wasn't long before the station was closed and condemned to be demolished in 1966. Luckily the federal government purchased the structure to be the center piece of the 1967 centennial celebrations in the city and later converted it to a convention center for government use. It held the G20 as well as many other foreign heads of state in years past however sits today empty and as an abandoned status building due to the construction of the new convention center in Ottawa.

 The future of the building isn't clear as proposals to add it to the new transit system fell through when the government refused to sell the structure. No plans are currently on the table for the building and this iconic ottawa building is still in danger of falling into neglect in the coming years. Union Station still has no heritage status despite being over 100 years old and sits on some of the most valuable real estate in the city. Fears of potential buyers who would demolish the site is a possibility especially if the building becomes damaged due to neglect in the following years. Only time will tell exactly what has in store for this beautiful structure, for now its future is anything but certain.