Feature Friday
Then and now photos featuring Dona Station, which was situated in modern Kaministiquia, Ontario. Dona came into existence with the opening on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Lake Superior Branch/Division in 1908. Located 26 miles from then Fort William (now Thunder Bay), it was the “D” station in GTP’s alphabetical naming pattern.
As the first major station outside of Fort William, Dona was home to a GTP Type “E” station, a section house, water tank, 2956-foot siding and 723-foot spur. Sadly, Dona and three other stations (Alba, Baird and Crest), along with 28 miles of track were abandoned in 1925 when CN rerouted its lines in the area.
Today, the site of the station has been obliterated by the modern Silver Falls Road. However, the concrete foundations of the section house and water tank remain, silent reminders of the trains that once rolled though the area.
Historic photos courtesy of Archives & Digital Collections at Lakehead University Library
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 