AGENTS, OPERATORS & CLERKS:
Employees at the Barry’s Bay Station 1894-1972
Currently, Barry’s Bay’s former railway station serves as a museum and tourist information booth. It’s a pleasant place where one can view artifacts and displays depicting the history of the community, the railway and the station itself, and where one can find information about the area’s amenities.
For most of the 78 years that it was a working railway station, it was a community hub and filled with activity. In the days of the railway and telegraph, the station served the transportation and communication needs of the citizens and businesses in the village and surrounding townships. The station and the railway employees who worked, and sometimes lived in it, played important roles in the life of the community.
The agents, operators and clerks who served at the Barry’s Bay station were an interesting lot. Some were local; others came from Renfrew County, Ontario, Quebec, and even the United States. Many stayed briefly; some remained for years, raised families, and helped build the community; several have relatives or descendants who remain in the area; and others started careers here and spread out across the country. Their fascinating stories help us appreciate the impact the railway and the railway station had on the development of Barry’s Bay and the Madawaska Valley.
In 2024, to celebrate the 130th anniversary of the arrival of the Ottawa, Arnprior and Parry Sound Railway in Barry’s Bay, Mark Woermke researched and prepared Agents, Operators and Clerks: Employees at the Barry’s Bay Station 1894-1972. This document, which includes over 40 historic images, identifies thirty of these employees. It explains the work they did; offers details of their lives; and explores their connections to events and figures from history.
Use the link above to encounter some of the people who worked in the Barry’s Bay station. You will enjoy meeting them!