Charlottetown’s first railway station
Photo Courtesy of the Public Archives and Records Office
The first Railway Station in the City was a wood framed structure located on the south side of Water Street, near Weymouth Street.
It is not apparent who the people are in the image, however we do know that the Superintendent of the Prince Edward Island Railway, G. A. Sharp is pictured third from the right leaning up against the ceremonial arch.
To construct such an elaborate arch was not a small feat so it must have been in honour of someone of great esteem. One clue might be the Latin sign across the front of the arch that reads “Fortuna Sequatur” meaning, “Let fortune follow”. This was the motto on the crest of Lord Aberdeen, Governor General of Canada, however other details of the arch do not appear on his crest, so the reason for the construction of the arch remains a mystery.
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