Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn Subdivision (MP 45-49) at Jellicoe, ON. Features the grade west of Kinghorn Road with cuttings, culverts and a former 132-foot trestle that filled in to create a large embankment in the early 1980s.
Part 1 of 6
Active, 1914-2005.
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 3 of a multipart series on driving to our hiking destination. This episode was recorded in June 2024 and chronicles our journey to a multipurpose exploration we did near Wildgoose Lake in Greenstone. You can watch the other videos we did that day here: https://youtu.be/dOHPaf0uOJc
Enjoy!
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
The Grand Trunk Pacific refers to a former rail line in northwestern Ontario that ran from the then City of Fort William (now Thunder Bay) to a place called Superior Junction (also called Lake Superior Junction), just east of the community of Sioux Lookout. It was constructed between 1905 and 1908 and was intended to provide access to Lake Superior (hence the name Superior Junction) for the Grand Trunk Pacific/National Transcontinental Railway system. It became part of the Canadian Government Railways in 1915, and later Canadian National Railways in late 1918. After many transformations and names changes, it emerged as the Canadian National Railways Graham Subdivision in 1931. The line was abandoned in 1994 and this video documents my interest in its history and my attempts to document what remains of the line.
Enjoy!
On this day 30 years ago, Canadian National Railway is given permission by the Canadian Transportation Agency to abandoned its Graham Subdivision, which operated between Conmee Junction (northwest of Thunder Bay) and Superior Junction (east of Sioux Lookout) in northwestern Ontario.
This line was unique and had a very colourful history. It was constructed by the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway between 1905 and 1908 and was intended to provide access to Lake Superior for the Grand Trunk Pacific/National Transcontinental network. It was an anomaly as it was a GTP line, but connected to the NTR side of the transcontinental line and thus became intertwined in the story of multiple companies. In the early years, it went through a dizzying series of name changes:
1908 Grand Trunk Pacific Lake Superior Division
1915 Canadian Government Railways Fort William & Raith Subdivisions
1919 Canadian National Railways Fort William & Raith Subdivisions
1919 Canadian National Railways Lake Superior Subdivision (October)
1923 Canadian National Railways Graham Subdivision
1924 Canadian National Railways Crest & Graham Subdivisions
1925 Canadian National Railways Crest, Raith & Quorn Subdivisions
1926 Canadian National Railways Raith & Quorn Subdivisions
1931 Canadian National Railways Graham Subdivision
Although it saw considerable traffic at times in its history, business had declined considerably by the early 1990s. The last regular train ran in November 1992 and the line sat idle until the abandonment approval in May 1994.
Today the right of way is owned by Wagner Forest Management. One of the most popular sites for visitors is the Flett Tunnel, located a short distance west of Flett Station and approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Thunder Bay. The photos show the western portal of the tunnel in 1909 and 1996 respectively.
Extra Credit is video series that examines topics related to history in the Thunder Bay District and exploring that history.
Thirty years is a long time for anything, and in this case, it is the amount of time I have spent researching and exploring parts of local history. When I started, I was a young university student looking for something to fill the time and for a little adventure. Now I’m a middle-aged guy with a family who has taken on the goal of trying to preserve some of the past for future generations. I have seen and done a lot in these past three decades and this is a little of that story.
Enjoy!
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 185.5-190.6) at Shuniah, ON. Features the grade as it passes West Birch Beach Road to East Floral Road with culverts, signage, the siding at Wild Goose Station and great views of Lake Superior.
Part 5 of 5.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 185.5-190.6) at Shuniah, ON. Features the grade from Wild Goose Bay Road past Pebbly Beach Road with culverts, rock cuts and the scene of a tragic 1913 accident.
Part 4 of 5.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 185.5-190.6) at Shuniah, ON. Features the grade from Blind Creek Drive to Wild Goose Bay Road with signage, culverts, ties and phenomenal views of Lake Superior at Wild Goose Beach.
Part 3 of 5.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 185.5-190.6) at Shuniah, ON. Features the grade near Cedar Bay Road to Blind Creek Drive with milepost markers, culverts, rock cuts and great views of Lake Superior.
Part 2 of 5.
Active, 1914-2005.
Video of the former Canadian Northern Railway/CN-Kinghorn (Dorion) Subdivision (MP 185.5-190.6) at Shuniah, ON. Features the grade west of Grandview Beach Road as it passes close to residential properties with signage, rock cuts and great view of Lake Superior.
Part 1 of 5.
Active, 1914-2005.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 