Hunt/Umfreville

Watcomb Pit Hunt/Umfreville Station Yonde Station

Hunt Station was located near Sioux Lookout, ON at Milepost 166.6/108.8/167.3/137.4.

Hunt, situated on a peninsula in Jarvis Lake, was the site of one of the water tanks on the line. According to records, a GTP Type “E” station was constructed here in 1911. In a situation similar to Valora, CN built a single-storey “Special Station” in at Hunt 1927 to replace the original GTP structure. It was built to CN Plan 100-218 and was similar in appearance to the one at Valora. It was sold in 1963 or 1964. There was a post office at Umfreville from 1958 to 1974.

In 1928, the name was changed from Hunt to Umfreville, though the reasoning for the switch is unknown. Hunt was one of the few stations that did not follow the alphabetical naming, likely because of the lack of “X” names. It may have been named after Edward Umfreville, who in 1784 was charged with finding a fur trading route from Lake Superior to Lake Winnipeg by the Northwest Company.

There was considerable activity at this station judging by the number of industrial spurs that were in operation. In 1941, the Patricia Lumber Company constructed a 20 car through spur that was taken over by the Great Lakes Paper Company in 1955 and used until 1965. In 1944, the Greer Company built a 30 car spur connected at the east end. It was taken over by the Styffe Company in 1955 and used until 1966, then again from 1969 to 1970. It was used for one final year in 1971 Dynast Corporation. Finally, in 1949, the Abitibi Pulp and Paper Company built a 24/41 car through spur that was used until 1966.

The water tank here was removed in 1960 and the siding in 1989. Umfreville remained a station on the line until it was abandoned in 1994.