Britt Station

While the lumber industry was booming in Byng Inlet, it became evident that additional housing was needed for mill workers and their families. As a result, workers began to build homes along the northern side of the Magnetewan River.

In 1875 enough children were living in the new community that a school (S.S. #2 Wallbridge) was built. The school was given the designation of number two because neighboring Byng Inlet already had a school. S.S. #2 closed in 1883 after the teacher, Miss Armstrong, drowned while skating home across the river. During the summer months, ferries were used to transport passengers between Byng Inlet and the community on the northern side of the Magnetewan River.

When a post office was opened on June 10, 1885 north of Byng Inlet, it was given the simple name of Byng Inlet North. A train station was built in Byng Inlet North under the name of Dunlop.

The northern post office closed in 1913 and would not reopen until 1927. When the time arrived for the post office to reopen, the name of Dunlop was already in use elsewhere in Ontario. The post office changed its name to Britt, named after Thomas Britt who was the head of the CPR’s fuel depot in Montreal.

After the lumber mills closed, the Britt train station sat idle for many years. The CPR company had decided to demolish the station just as they’d done to the Byng Inlet station. A budget of approximately $27,000 had been designated for this demolition.

A family from Southern Ontario wanted to save the station and approached the CPR company. CPR agreed to allow the family to move the train station to private property. CPR covered the cost of transportation while the station was sold for the price of a dollar.

The station was limited in where it could be moved to due to impassable bridges at both the northern and southern sides of Highway 69. Today the Britt station can be found along Station Road just north of Byng Inlet.

Please note that this is private property and the locals do keep an eye out.