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 Thunder Bay, ON. Features the former Empire Avenue extension which travelled from Union Station (Canadian Pacific Fort William Station) along Empire Avenue westward to Empire Avenue Junction and the main trunk of the GTP line. This video covers the section from Bessie Street to Edward Street and includes the interlock between this line and the Canadian Northern line, which eventually became known as “Midway.” The line from Midway east was in use from circa 1910 to 1921.
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 Thunder Bay, ON. Features the former Empire Avenue extension which travelled from Union Station (Canadian Pacific Fort William Station) along Empire Avenue westward to Empire Avenue Junction and the main trunk of the GTP line. This video covers the section from the station, which was built in 1910, to Bessie Street.
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 Subdivision at Thunder Bay, ON. Features a portion of the original mainline route from Kingston Street along James Street to Mary Street in the Westfort area of the city.
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 Subdivision at Thunder Bay, ON. Features the former Grand Trunk Pacific swing bridge over the Kaministiquia River which was constructed between 1907 and November 1908. The bridge is now owned by Canadian National Railway (Kashabowie Subdivision-Mission Spur) and still carries rail and road traffic between Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation.
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 Subdivision at Thunder Bay, ON. Features a portion of the original station spur line route from West Fort William Station westward to where it joins the mainline near Kingston and Yonge Streets in the Westfort area of the city.
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 Subdivision at Fort William First Nation, ON. Features the grade west from the former Mission Terminal as it parallels City Road until it reaches the James Street Swing Bridge with a few special guests. The line here is still active, known as the Mission Spur which is part of CN’s Kashabowie Subdivision.
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 Subdivision at Fort William First Nation, ON. Features the grade at the former Mission Terminal with the GTP elevator, which was built in 1910 (today known as the Superior Elevator Company). The line here is still active, known as the Mission Spur which is part of CN’s Kashabowie Subdivision.
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 Subdivision at Fort William First Nation, ON. Features the grade at the former Mission Terminal with the yard (which is still active), the remains of the roundhouse and turntable. The line here is still active, known as the Mission Spur which is part of CN’s Kashabowie Subdivision.
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.
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.
Flett Tunnel (west portal), 1909.Flett Tunnel (West Portal), 1996.
Poverty, Agony, Distress & Want! 