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Parkade named Sorensen Station
reprinted from Red Deer Express (Erin Fawcett) June 16, 2010
Red Deer's downtown parkade
will be named after a local transportation pioneer.
The parkade was officially named Sorensen Station after City council
gave its approval on Monday night.
The station is named after Gordon Sorensen, who began a bus service
in the City of Red Deer in 1957.
Sorensen died in 1981.
Cecil Sorensen, Gordon's son, said his parents would be "very
pleased" to know the parkade had been named after his father.
"My dad would have been flabbergasted," said Cecil, who traveled
from Saskatoon to be in Red Deer for the announcement. "He would
have been very honoured."
He added his father's heart was in the transit industry.
"He started a bus line when we were just little. I can remember the
first bus that he had. We were the first one to have the flat bus."
About six members from the Sorensen family were on hand for
council's approval.
David Radcliffe, chair of the Municipal Features Naming Committee
said naming the parkade Sorensen Station "made so much sense".
"We thought if the parkade was named in his honour then it would
carry on the tradition that he started," said Radcliffe.
Gordon was raised on a farm near Stettler. In 1933 he, along with an
eight passenger Studebaker, started a bus service from Lacombe to
Castor.
He then moved to Sylvan Lake and, with the same Studebaker, began
bus service to Red Deer and shortly after, expanded to Rocky
Mountain House.
In 1940, Gordon moved to Red Deer with his family and opened a bus
depot on Gaetz Ave. at 51 St.
The Blue Derby Cafe was operated by the family at this location.
In 1945, the building was sold and a new depot and cafe was built
between 49 Ave. and Gaetz Ave. on 52 St.
This was the depot in Red Deer until Greyhound built their depot in
the 1980s.
In 1954, Gordon began a rural school bus service and expanded to 37
buses when he sold to Prairie Bus Lines in 1957.
That same year, Gordon began a bus service in the City of Red Deer.
He began with one bus and had expanded it to 14 buses when it was
sold to the City in 1966.
When the City took over, some of the operators and the buses came
with it.
"My father was a man of vision and knew what had to get done and how
to get it done," said Cecil.
News article: Newest city ghost unveiled downtown
(Red Deer Express May 2012)
News article: Ghost unveiled
(Red Deer Advocate May 2012)
News article: Classic bus cruises city streets
(Red Deer Advocate June 2011)
News article: Transit to retire last low-floor
vehicle
(Red Deer Advocate Feb.2011)
News
article: Downtown parkade to be named after transportation pioneer
Gordon Sorensen
(Red Deer Advocate June 2010)
News article: Rare GM public bus saved by city
bus man
(Red Deer Express Dec.2009)
Evolution of Transit in Central Alberta
History of Red Deer Transit
Michael Dawe article related to transit heritage:
Sorensen Station a fitting tribute
(Red Deer Express June 2010)
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