RA RAILROADING MU MUSKOKA The Players, Places and Events that - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

RA RAILROADING MU MUSKOKA

The Players, Places and Events that Shaped Muskoka’s Colourful Railway History

Mus Muskoka Mi Minute nute

• 2,500 mi2/ 6,475

km2

• 1,600 lakes
• 60,000 permanent

residents

• 100,000 seasonal
• wners
• 2.1 million visitors

annually

• 2 hr drive north of

Toronto Ranked #1 vacation destination world-wide in 2011 by National Geographic

Muskoka’s Pre-Railway Timeline

1832 – Canada’s 1st government railway charter, for the Champlain & St. Lawrence Railroad is assigned to brewer John Molsen of Montreal;

• pens in 1836.

Opening of Rideau Canal 1837 – David Thompson surveys Muskoka.

The Dorchester

1842 – Population growth, particularly in Canada West prompts authorities to consider settlement of the “wild lands” of the Ottawa- Huron Tract.

Mus Muskoka’s Pr Pre-Railway y Ti Timeline

1853 – 1858 – 1859 – 1860 – 1865 –

Ale Alexan ander Peter Coc

• ckburn (1837 – 1905)

1905)

GOVERNANCE/ INFLUENCE TOURISM COMMERCE SETTLEMENT TRANSPOR- TATION

A. A.P . Coc

• ckburn an

and the Road

• ad to
• Rail

ail

1867- Confederation – A.P . Cockburn elected MPP (L) for North Victoria, which includes Muskoka. 1868 – Passage of the Free Grants & Homestead Act in Ontario. Cockburn presents a petition to ON legislature calling for construction of a railway from Toronto to Lake Nipissing. The Northern Railway of Canada (NRC) terminus is Barrie, ON (1868)

A. A.P . Coc

• ckburn an

and the Road

• ad to
• Rail

ail

1869-(Jan.) Failing to entice the NRC to extend the railway north, Cockburn and 10 associates obtain a provincial charter for the Simcoe & Muskoka Railway (Lake Couchiching to Lake Muskoka.) (No existing rail north of Barrie!) (Sept.) Directors of the NRC visit Muskoka at the invitation of District municipal leaders. (Dec.) Chartering of the Toronto, Simcoe & Muskoka Junction Railway (TS&MJR.)

Th The Ro Road to Ra Rail – Th The Tra ransco scontinental Effe ffect ct

1871 1871-TS&MJR begins building from Barrie to Orillia.

• B.C. joins Confederation on condition that construction of a

transcontinental railroad be commenced within 2 yrs and completed in 10. From this point on, every railway-related decision in Canada was made with this in mind.

Province of Ontario Roads & Railways – 1871

1871 Census shows population of Muskoka District to be 6,919.

Th The Ro Road to Rail

1872-Incorporation of the Canada Pacific Railway Co.

• A.P

. Cockburn wins Muskoka’s new federal seat for Liberals. 1873-Railway reaches Washago.

• John A. MacDonald’s Conservatives

resign over the Pacific Scandal – transcontinental project paused.

Th The Ro Road to Rail

1874 – Northern railway reaches Severn Bridge and stalls due to lack

• f funds.

1875 – (Feb) NRC reorganizes & raises funds to complete the last 12 miles to Gravenhurst, and for conversion its railways to standard gauge.

• (Sept) NRC opens to Gravenhurst – to Wharf in Nov.
• “Understanding” with lumbermen that line will NOT be extended

for at least 10 years.

Ra Railroad Dreams – Th The Tra ransco scontinental Effe ffect ct

Th The Tra ransco scontinental Effe ffect ct

“A glance at a railway map of Ontario will show how large a portion of her railway system is converging at or south of Gravenhurst.”

James Edgar, President, Ontario & Pacific Junction Railway, December, 1875

1868-1908 – 12 railway charters include a route to and/or through Muskoka.

Ex Explo loit itin ing the Railwa ilway

1876 1876 – Lumbering operations accelerate. Between 1875 and 1879, the number of sawmills in Gravenhurst alone grows from 2 to 17. 1878-The NRC and Cockburn’s navigation

• co. coordinate schedules at Muskoka

Wharf. MacDonald’s Conservatives returned to power – restart the controversial CPR project.

Th The Tra ransco scontinental Effe ffect ct

1881- Bitter rivals the NRC and the Hamilton &North Western Railway join forces to create the Northern & Pacific Junction Railway (N&PJR) to share cost of extending rails to Lake Nipissing and the CPR. 1884 – Construction on the N&PJR finally begins. 1885 – Driving of the last spike on the CPR 1886 – N&PJR opens to Callander. 1888 1888 – The GTR gains controlling interest in the NRC and H&NWR (including the N&PJR.)

1887 1887–1908: Co 1908: Compet etition

1891 1891 –Lumber baron J.R. Booth of Ottawa begins assembling the Ottawa, Arnprior & Parry Sound Railway (OA&PSR), opened in 1896.

1887 1887–1908: Co 1908: Compet etition

1895 1895 – Wi William Mackenzie and Don Donald M d Mann ob

• btain a

a c charter f for

• r

th the Ja Jame mes s Bay Railway (JB JBR), t , to

• ext

exten end from Pa Parry Sound to to James Ba Bay v y via Su Sudb dbury. 1905 1905 – JB JBR R na name cha hange nged to Ca Canadian North thern Onta tario Ra Railway (CNOOR.) 1897 1897 – JB JBR R cha hart rter r amend nded to al allow w extension fr from Par arry Sound to to Toronto to. 1898 1898 – Ma Mack cken enzie e & Ma Mann form m th the Ca Canadian North

• rthern

rn Railway (C (CNOR) ) wi with lines fr from northern Sa

• Sask. t

. to P

• Por
• rt A

Arthur.

1887 1887–1908: 1908: Th The Ca Canadian Paci cifi fic c Railway y

1892 1892 – GTR TR g grants r running r rights t to C

• CPR on
• n i

its T Tor

• ron
• nto t
• to
• Ca

Callander lin line. e. 1898 1898 – Con

• nflict

cts w with t the G GTR TR p promp

• mpt C

CPR t to r

• recon

conside der i its ow

• wn

To Toronto – Su Sudb dbury l y line. 1904 1904 – Co Constr tructi tion be begins on CP CPR’s Toronto to-Su Sudb dbury L y Line. 1907 1907 – CP CPR opens line to to Ba Bala. GT GTR, CNOR and CPR ea each sen ending 3-4 4 tra trains s per r day to to Mu Muskoka!

1887 1887–1908: 1908: Meanwhile, the GTR TR…

1903 1903 – Agr Agrees s to bui uild a 2nd

nd

tr transconti tinenta tal railway, th the Gr Grand Trunk Pacific. 1904 1904 – Pu Purchases J.R. Booth’s Ca Canada Atl tlanti tic Railway, st steamshi ships, s, and nd Depot Ha Harb rbour fac facilities fo for $16M to become par art

• f
• f t

the G GTP TP .

1909 1909 –1929: P 1929: Prosp sper erity a y and d De Declin cline

1909 1909 – Mu Muskoka ka’s re resorts can accommodate >5,000 gue guest sts. s. 1911 1911 – Fe Federal gov’t agre rees to financially support the CN CNOR in bu building a th third tr transconti tinenta tal railway. 1912 1912 – Lu Lumbering peaks; begins rapid decline. Mu Muskoka ka’s vis visit itors in incr crea easin ingly ly arrivin iving by y motor ca car. 1914 1914 – WWI WWI begi gins; ns; ra railway fund unding ng disc scont ntinue nued; GTP TP a and C d CNOR OR i in f financi cial di difficu culty. 1915 1915 – Fo Formation of Ca Canadian Gov

• vern

rnme ment t Railways s (C (CGR) ) to to oversee go gov’t-ow

• wned

d ra railways. 1918 1918 – Cr Creati tion of Ca Canadian Nati tion

• nal Railways

s to to ma manage a all g gov

• v’t

’t r railway op y operation

• ns.

Po Post-WWI WWI – Tu Turbulent Ti Times

1920s 1920s – Ve Vehicle registrations gr grow by 30,000/yr yr an and ac accelerat ating. 1919 1919 – Pa Passage of the Canada Hi High ghways Ac Act. 1929 1929 – Mu Muskoka ka Rd Rd from Severn rn Br Bridg dge t to G

• Gravenhurst i

is p paved. d. 1930s 1930s – To Tourism evaporates during the Great De Depression

• n. R

. Railways re reduce number of trains to Mu Muskoka ka. Fe Federal pro rogram puts unemployed to work building and impro roving ro roads.

Po Post-1940: 1940: Ch Changing Interest sts s & Exp xpect ctations

1940s 1940s – Re Resurgence of

• f Mu

Muskoka ka To Tourism during WWII du due t to t

• travel

re restrictions + + fue uel av avai ailab ability fo for steam amships. 1950s 1950s – 10, 10,000 000 mo motorboats pu purch chased ed; 900, 900,000 000 total l veh vehicle icle re registrations in Ontario. Rapid expa expansio ion road in infrastruct cture. 1953 1953 – No No train in ser ervic vice e to Mu Muskoka ka Wha Wharf rf fo for fi first time in in over ver 75 75 yea years. 1959 1959 – De Demol molition

• n of
• f Mu

Muskoka ka Wha Wharf rf st station. n.