The former E&N Railway station [note: E&N stood for Esqumalt & Nanaimo] on Canada Avenue is a local heritage building, now serving as the home for the Cowichan Valley Museum.
It was built in 1912 as the Duncan station for the E&N Railway. At the time it was built, the E&N Railway station master in Duncan was Roland Clayton Fawcett (1867-1923), a member of Temple Lodge, No.33. Roland Clayton Fawcett served as Worshipful Master of Temple Lodge, No.33 in 1914.
Roland Fawcett lived in the station master’s apartment on the second floor of the station from 1912 until his death in 1923. His second floor apartment is now used as display space by the Cowichan Valley Museum.
The Cowichan Valley Museum also occupies display space on the building’s main floor. This space in the E&N Railway station was obtained for the Cowichan Valley Museum by Duncan Mayor Douglas Barker (a member of Temple Lodge, No.33 and United Service Lodge, No.24) during his term as Mayor of Duncan between 1983-87.
Other Temple Lodge, No.33 members associated with the E&N Railway station include Edward Howard McColl, who was the E&N station agent in Duncan and in Lake Cowichan for many years; John Albert Kyle, who was a conductor for many years before starting a taxi business in Duncan; Charles Herbert Dickie, who was a conductor on the E&N in the 1890s and went on to become a Member of Parliament from 1921-1935.
The E & N Railway is no longer in business but its remaining tracks are still used for freight. The passenger service formerly operated by VIA Rail has been discontinued but there is currently a proposal to upgrade the tracks to allow a passenger commuter railway to operate between Nanaimo and Victoria.
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