Summary
Oshawa Station was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1913 while construction of the lakeshore line, now known as their Belleville Subdivision, was progressing eastward to Smiths Falls. This line was built as a diversion of their original 1884 mainline located approximately 17 kilometres to the north. It was one of three passenger stations active in Oshawa by the time the first train arrived on June 29th, 1914, the others being the Canadian Northern station to the north and the Grand Trunk station to the south. The structure was substantial in size with a predominantly brick and concrete exterior, having a single floor with a waiting room, freight room, and the station agent’s office in the middle. A separate express building was also built adjacent to the station and connected through a shared roof. A total of eight passenger trains stopped at Oshawa per day by 1921.
As a result of the Great Depression’s economic effects, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National pooled their passenger service between Toronto, Ottawa, and Montreal together in 1933. Much of Canadian Pacific’s passenger services on those routes were shifted over to Canadian National as a result, and by 1940 only four trains were stopping at Oshawa Station on a daily basis. The popularization of automobiles during the early to mid 20th century contributed to a further decline in ridership, which only intensified with the completion of Highway 401 through Oshawa between 1947 and 1960. Only a singular westbound and eastbound train were stopping at Oshawa by 1961, and this remained the case until approximately 1970 when service ceased altogether. The building remained in use by Canadian Pacific afterward, mostly as an office for one of the company’s passenger service representatives. However, this came to an end by the early 1970’s. It was also briefly used as a facility for maintenance-of-way crews before finally being abandoned. After sitting boarded up and in a state of disrepair for several years, the station was demolished on November 3rd, 1989.
As part of Metrolinx’s planned extension of the Lakeshore East Line to Bowmanville, a new GO Station is currently proposed for a site approximately half a kilometer east of the property that used to be occupied by the CPR station in Oshawa. This would reintroduce passenger rail service to the vicinity of downtown Oshawa for the first time in over five decades.
Oshawa station shortly after opening in 1914. Note the factory in the background, now long-gone as the surrounding neighbourhood has become predominantly residential. Courtesy of the Al Paterson collection. 
A 1987 photograph showing Oshawa Station in a state of disuse two years before its demolition. Courtesy of the Oshawa Public Library.
Condensed Station Info:
| Location: | Served By: | Current State: | Date Built: | Date Demolished: |
| South end of Centre Street | Canadian Pacific Railway (1914 – 1970) | Demolished | 1913 | 1989 |