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 • owners 2.1 million visitors • annually 2 hr drive north of • Ranked #1 vacation destination world-wide Toronto in 2011 by National Geographic

Muskoka’s Pre-Railway Timeline 1832 – Canada’s 1 st government railway charter, for The Dorchester the Champlain & St. Lawrence Railroad is assigned to brewer John Molsen of Montreal; opens in 1836. Opening of Rideau Canal 1837 – David Thompson surveys Muskoka. 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 ockburn (1837 – 1905) 1905) TRANSPOR- TATION GOVERNANCE/ COMMERCE INFLUENCE SETTLEMENT TOURISM

A. A.P . Coc ockburn an and the Road oad to o 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 ockburn an and the Road oad to o 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 of 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 – The GTR gains controlling interest 1888 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 1905 1905 – JB JBR R na name cha hange nged to 1895 – Wi 1895 William Mackenzie and Canadian North Ca thern Onta tario Don Donald M d Mann ob obtain a a c charter f for or Railway (CNOOR.) Ra th the Ja Jame mes s Bay Railway (JB JBR) , t , to o ext exten end from Pa Parry Sound to to James Bay v Ba y via Su Sudb dbury. 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 orthern rn Railway (C (CNOR) ) wi with lines fr from northern Sa Sask. t . to P o Por ort 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 o CPR on on i its T Tor oron onto t o to o Ca Callander lin line. e. 1898 – Con 1898 onflict cts w with t the G GTR TR p promp ompt C CPR t to r o recon conside der i its ow own 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 2 nd 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 of of 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 overn rnme ment t Railways s (CGR) (C ) to to oversee go gov’t-ow owned d ra railways. 1918 1918 – Cr Creati tion of Ca Canadian Nati tion onal Railways s to to ma manage a all g gov ov’t ’t r railway op y operation ons.

Po Post-WWI WWI – Tu Turbulent Ti Times 1919 – Pa 1919 Passage of the Canada Hi High ghways Ac Act. 1920s – Ve 1920s Vehicle registrations gr grow by 30,000/yr yr an and accelerat ac ating. 1929 1929 – Mu Muskoka ka Rd Rd from Severn rn Br Bridg dge t to G o Gravenhurst i is p paved. d. 1930s 1930s – To Tourism evaporates during the Great De Depression on. 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 – Re 1940s Resurgence of of Mu Muskoka ka To Tourism during WWII du due t to t o travel restrictions + re + fue uel av avai ailab ability fo for steam amships. 1950s – 10, 1950s 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 on of of Mu Muskoka ka Wha Wharf rf st station. n.