Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Crest Subdivision at Kaministiqua, ON. Features the grade as it skirts alongside the Canadian Pacific Kansas City mainline and the Kaministiquia River with huge cuttings, heavy vegetation, slides and washed out embankments.
Part 2 of 8.
Active, 1908-1925.
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Crest Subdivision at Kaministiqua, ON. Features the grade from a point approximately 2 miles west of Crest Station as it skirts alongside the Canadian Pacific Kansas City mainline and the Kaministiquia River with cuttings, heavy vegetation and washed out embankments.
Part 1 of 8.
Active, 1908-1925.
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
This episode is the fourth instalment in our sub-series on the Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Branch. This time we head northwest of Thunder Bay to Finmark to visit the well-known Flett Tunnel. The tunnel is one of the most popular railway sites in the area and the second longest tunnel in this part of the country behind the Macdiarmid Tunnel (https://youtu.be/6-Hk_SGGrVs). Constructed in 1906, it sadly claimed the lives of three workers as a result of a tragic blasting accident. Heading west from the tunnel, we continued a short distance further west to the site of a “stream tunnel,’ which was constructed circa 1918 and used to re-route the flow of a creek under the grade.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
What is historical hiking? Whether it is a real thing or something I just made up, it’s the idea of placing a historical emphasis on outdoor adventures. Every place has its own story and this video explains the motivation behind my hiking, the videos that I make and effort that goes into them. I hope that one day many of the videos that I make will serve as a historical record of the places that once were.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
Part of the experience of heading outdoors in getting there. This is part six of a multipart series on driving to our hiking destination. This episode was recorded in August 2025 and chronicles our journey to a exploratory drive on the Grand Trunk Pacific/CN Graham Subdivision near Silver Dollar, Ontario.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
Part of the experience of heading outdoors in getting there. This is part 5 of a multipart series on driving to our hiking destination. This episode was recorded in May 2025 and chronicles our journey to a hike on the Grand Trunk Pacific/CN Graham Subdivision near Upsala, Ontario.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
This episode, the ninth in sub-series on the former Kinghorn Subdivision, takes us north of Nipigon to the communities of Macdiarmid/Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek, ON and the tunnel located nearby. The Macdiarmid or Jumbo’s Cove Tunnel was built circa 1911-1912 and is the longest rail tunnel in this part of the country and one of the longest tunnels in eastern Canada. With its unique concrete work and its length, it is certainly quite the place to visit.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
This episode is the third instalment in our sub-series on the Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Branch. This time we head northwest of Thunder Bay to Sistonens Corners to visit a section of the original grade that was abandoned in 1925 but was never turned into an road and therefore still maintains much of its authentic form. It is a beautiful stretch that skirts alongside the Matawin River and makes for a great little hike. We also visit the Matawin River Bridge, which was built in 1923 by CN as part of the plan to reroute the line and was used until the line was abandoned in 1994.
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
This episode is a follow up to our first video on the Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Division and we venture out into the field to see some of the remnants of it. One of the most interesting features on this former line was a location known as the “Moose’s Nose” or the “Devil’s Elbow,” which is located on the western side of the City of Thunder Bay. Built to try to mitigate grade issues as the line climbed westward away from Lake Superior, it was part of 28 miles of track that was abandoned in 1925. The northern side of the “Nose” is municipal property and forms a great little trail which includes a 1917 concrete culvert, a possibly original stone culvert and a lengthy rock cut.
Enjoy!
Video of the former Grand Trunk Pacific Railway-Lake Superior Division, Canadian Government Railways-Fort William Subdivision, Canadian National Railways-Fort William/Lake Superior/Graham/Crest Subdivision at Millar, ON. Features the grade as it parallels the Kaministiquia River and the CPKC Kaministiquia Subdivision with a 150-foot long, 50-foot deep washout with the remains of the wooden box culvert at the bottom of the creek bed.
Part 10 of 10.
Active, 1908-1925.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 