Hansard station existed on the southwest side of the Fraser River northwest of the Bowron River confluence, and Prince George Citizen, 23 Jun 1932 southeast of Upper Fraser, in central British Columbia. The namesake small community to its northwest has since dispersed.
History Railway When the National Transcontinental Railway's link to the BC coast was proposed, its expected course was through what became Grande Prairie, then southwest through the Wapiti Pass and what became Hansard. Although the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTP) surveyed the same pass during 1904–1906,Prince George Citizen, 3 Apr 1924 the Yellowhead Pass was the final choice. Subsequently, a series of different proposals to route a line via the Monkman Pass and Hansard never eventuated.
Hansard, like Aleza Lake to its northwest, and Dewey to its southeast, was an original train station (1914) on the GTP1914 Timetable. p. 4. (the Canadian National Railway after nationalization). Hansard village nestled around Mile 101.Prince George Citizen: 20 & 27 Aug 1942; 28 Jan 1943; 4 Feb 1943; & 18 Mar 1943 to 1 Jul 1943 The railway crossing is at Mile 100.39.Prince George Citizen, 17 Sep 1992 The station was at Mile 100.2, Fraser Subdivision (about Mile 190 during the line's construction), and the CNR Hansard Bridge spans at Mile 99.1 (formerly 189).
George Prudente (1884–1949), a foreman during the construction era, became the Hansard section foreman (track maintenance). In 1920, his bride, M. Angelina Pizzuto (1897–1987),Prince George Citizen, 17 Nov 1987 joined him. Relocating to Prince George in the early 1920s, he was a public figure successful in business.Prince George Citizen: 8 Dec 1949 & 27 Oct 1999 Northwest, at former Mile 192, a steam shovel operated in May 1913,Fort George Herald, 17 May 1913 and L. Johnson appears to have had a blasting contract months later.Fort George Herald, 13 Sep 1913 By January 1914, eastbound passenger services were running as far as Mile 190, with the expectation passenger and freight service would extend to Prince George on February 1.Fort George Herald, 21 Jan 1914 Months later, slips and the settling of previously unfrozen ground, leaving the track unballasted on the Prince George-Mile 190 section, delayed a westbound train for four days at McBride. The final taking five hours to cover, the journey terminated across the river from Fort George, because the bridge had washed out. Days later, a mixed train carrying 100 passengers fared worse. The passenger car abandoned at Mile 190, the men travelled in the freight cars and the woman and children in the caboose. Derailments on the 32-car train limited the next day's progress to . Some walked to Willow River (about Mile 216.5) to board a steamboat, while others completed their journey by overloaded handcar. Until the Fort George-McBride track was rehabilitated, Edmonton stopped selling tickets to Prince George and stranded passengers from later trains returned to Alberta.Fort George Tribune, 18 Apr 1914Prince George Citizen, 16 Mar 1953
The station name acknowledged Hugh H. Hansard (1869–1931), Assistant Solicitor GTP (from 1911), Solicitor GTP (from 1912), who conducted legal negotiations with the various stakeholders along the route.Fort George Herald: 8 Nov 1913, 11 July 1914, 22 Aug 1914, 28 Nov 1914 & 19 Dec 1914; Fort George Tribune: 17 Oct 1914 & 28 Nov 1914; Prince George Herald, 4 Jun1915; Prince George Post: 5 & 12 Jun 1915; Prince George Star, 30 Mar 1917Prince George Citizen, 27 Jan 1984 In accordance with directives from the GTP executive management, who consistently steamrolled over unfavourable legal requirements, his role was to neutralise all opposition, which in some cases exhibited as few scruples as the GTP itself. However, this tactic also undermined the economic prosperity of communities and other businesses, hampering the increase in traffic volumes essential for the GTP's own survival. Following the CNR takeover, Hugh Hansard received a $7,200 payout.Prince George Citizen, 5 Apr 1923
The location included a pumpman, water tower, and wye.1920 Timetable. Bulkley Valley Museum. p. 8. In 1920, an eastbound mixed train jumped the tracks at Hansard.Prince George Citizen, 9 Apr 1920 Two years later, a locomotive derailed. In 1956, a bridge crew dismantled the GTP construction-era pump house.Prince George Citizen, 16 Apr 1956
When Albert J. Downing (1886–1955)Prince George Citizen, 1 Sep 1955 became CNR section foreman in 1936, two of his daughters boarded for school in Prince George.Prince George Citizen, 16 Jan 1936 The following year near Chilako, one of Albert's sons jumped from a freight car after the loaded poles shifted. When eight cars derailed, the two other train hoppers on the same car died.Prince George Citizen, 29 Apr 1937 A moose charged Albert's speeder during the 1938/39 winter, derailing and damaging the machine. A local pedestrian experienced a similar encounter earlier in the same week.Prince George Citizen, 26 Jan 1939 That winter, heavy snow brought down the CNR telegraph lines in the vicinity.Prince George Citizen, 2 Feb 1939 At this time, Elsie and Richard Downing boarded for school at Sinclair Mills.Prince George Citizen: 16 Feb 1939 & 20 Apr 1939 Albert transferred to Isle Pierre in 1942.Prince George Citizen: 9 Jul 1942 & 1 Sep 1955
In 1940, a work crew took several hours to restore the track bed washed out by overflowing creek waters near Hansard.Prince George Citizen, 25 Apr 1940 William (Bill) Haws (1904–69), raised at Kidd,Prince George Citizen, 19 Mar 1969 took over as section foreman in 1942.Prince George Citizen, 6 Aug 1942 The CNR appointed John Prudun (1902–81)Prince George Citizen, 30 Jun 1981 (Pruden alternate spelling) as section foreman in the late 1940s, and M. Kerchuk, Lawrence Goetz, and Hiram W. Clark (1899–1986), as successive agents in 1951.Prince George Citizen: 15 Jan 1951; 5 & 19 Jul 1951; 30 Aug 1951; & 25 Oct 1951 Mike Kosteck (1927–2001)Prince George Citizen, 27 Apr 2001 became agent in 1954,Prince George Citizen: 17 & 31 May 1956 but this was one of a series of shorter assignments culminating in his appointment as supervisory agent at Prince George.Prince George Citizen, 11 Jul 1962
A 1964 derailment of two boxcars near Hansard delayed the westbound passenger train for nearly six hours.Prince George Citizen, 16 Jul 1964
Built in 1914, the standard-design Plan 100‐152 (Bohi's Type E) station building was removed around 1967.
Service 1922 Timetable. Northern BC Archives. p. 8.1923 Timetable. p. 70. 1925 Timetable. p. 105. Prince George Citizen: 12 & 19 Nov 19311932 Timetable. p. 58.1933 Timetable. Northern BC Archives. p. 8. 1935 Timetable. p. 60. 1942 Timetable. p. 58. 1943 Timetable. Northern BC Archives. p. 9.1945 Timetable. p. 61.1949 Timetable. p. 59. 1960 Timetable. Northern BC Archives1964 Timetable. Northern BC Archives1965 Timetable. Northern BC Archives 1967 Timetable. Northern BC Archives 1968 Timetable. Northern BC Archives1972 Timetable. Northern BC Archives1973 Timetable. Northern BC Archives Passenger Reg. stop Flag stop Flag stop Flag stop Reg. stop Reg. stop Flag stop Flag stop Flag stop Flag prob. Flag stop Flag prob. Reg. stop Reg. prob. Reg. stop Flag stop Reg. stop Reg. stop Reg. stop Flag stop Flag stop
3,000 feet
Forestry The narrow strip of accessible spruce forest bordering the railway that stretched some east of Prince George was known as the East Line. The reference to Anthony Lumber Co. existing at Hansard in 1921Prince George Citizen, 13 Sep 1921 probably should have read Hansard Lake, because the company operated from May 1 that year in the Aleza Lake area.Prince George Citizen: 28 Mar 1921 to 23 May 1921
In 1923, Martin Olson, purchased the Northern Lumber Co. sawmill at Willow River.Prince George Citizen, 2 Feb 1923 After moving the dismantled equipment to Hansard, he rebuilt between the river and railway siding. Olson quickly resold to entrepreneur Albert (Al) Johnson (1866–1947),Prince George Citizen: 29Apr 1948 & 11 Oct 1957 whose sonPrince George Citizen, 1 Nov 1923 and brother joined him in the enterprise.Prince George Citizen, 20 Dec 1923 Olson unsuccessfully challenged the sales commission owing to M.C. Wiggins (1869–1948),Prince George Citizen: 12 & 19 Jun 1924; & 11 Nov 1948 a game-hunting associate of Al Johnson.Prince George Citizen, 25 Sep 1924 When fire totally destroyed the 40,000-foot per shift capacity mill in 1926,Prince George Citizen, 18 Nov 1926 a 20,000-foot capacity one replaced it the next year.Prince George Citizen, 21 Apr 1927 The company invested in Caterpillar tractors to expedite log hauling.Prince George Citizen: 23 Aug 1928 & 15 Nov 1928 By 1929, the company suffered severe liquidity problems, but managed to survive into the Depression era. A 1931 fire again completely destroyed the mill and planing plant.Prince George Citizen, 18 Jun 1931 & 2 May 1988(60) Two years later, the logging equipment was sold.Prince George Citizen, 3 Aug 1933
J. Matiuk arrived in November 1946 to work with the Mack and Jack Sawmill Co.Prince George Citizen, 21 Nov 1946 Two weeks later, Jack Stanyer of Newlands sold his interest in the company to P. MickelowPrince George Citizen, 5 Dec 1946 of Hansard.Prince George Citizen, 9 Jan 1947 The following May, Matiuk sold his share in the Hansard Spruce Mill to J. Misiura and returned to Alberta.Prince George Citizen, 1 May 1947 This mill operated at least from 1947.Prince George Citizen: 27 Mar 1947, 5 Jun 1947, & 8 Jan 1948
During 1951, a plank road connected the mill with logging in the Bowron River area,Prince George Citizen, 25 Jun 1951 and U.S. investors purchased the mill.Prince George Citizen: 9 & 13 Aug 1951 At least one mill operated during the late 1950s.Prince George Citizen, 14 Jun 1956 In 1960, a logger suffered broken ribs when pinned beneath a tree for more than four hours.Prince George Citizen, 18 Jan 1960
In 1964, Northwood acquired the Hansard Lumber Co. and the three Fichtner millsPrince George Citizen, 3 May 1985 that August Fichtner (1902–73) founded.Prince George Citizen, 31 Oct 1973 The former was located across the river, far from Hansard.Prince George Citizen, 21 Jul 1961 However, one of the latter mills was at Hansard.Prince George Citizen: 1 Dec 1964 & 26 Jan 1965 These smaller mills closed soon afterward to consolidate sawmill operations at the company's Upper Fraser facility. The McGregor Logging Division initially operated from the Hansard site.
Hunting & Trapping Geo. Moquist, Fred Oleson, and John Oman (1882–1945),Prince George Citizen, 21 Jun 1945 were listed as trappers from 1927, and William Stroffield from 1929.
In 1942, relocating from Shelley, Arthur (Art) Renauld (1883–1957) (Renaud alternate spelling), a well-known trapper, purchased a 40-acre property. Although returning for visits, he had relocated by the mid-1940s.Prince George Citizen: 6 Aug 1942, 25 Nov 1943, 17 Feb 1944, 13 Jul 1944, 22 Nov 1945 & 3 Jul 1947 In 1945, a Hansard trapper died in Prince George from a self-inflicted rifle shot.Prince George Citizen, 12 Jul 1945 When not attending traplines, from his Monkman Pass base, Henry Hobe (1886–1964) (Hobi alternate spelling) resided in Hansard.Prince George Citizen: 1 Aug 1946 & 5 Jun 1947 Big game hunters from Vancouver, Prince George, and the U.S., often met with their guides at Hansard.Prince George Citizen: 21 & 28 Nov 1946; & 27 Nov 1947