Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway

Last updated
Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway palace car, engraving circa 1879. Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway palace car.jpg
Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway palace car, engraving circa 1879.

The Canadian province of Quebec formed the Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway (QMO&OR) [1] [2] in 1874 to link those cities since private companies, without the usual subsidies from the Federal Government of Canada, could not get financing, mainly because the Grand Trunk Railway was lobbying against it. [3]

Contents

Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway steam locomotive named after Prime Minister, 1878. QMO&OR locomotive-Lotbiniere.jpg
Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway steam locomotive named after Prime Minister, 1878.

This project was a priority for the premier of the province of Quebec, Sir Henri-Gustave Joly de Lotbinière. It was the first major railway along the north shore of the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers. The promoters of its predecessor companies had hoped to be part of the Canadian transcontinental railway project, a goal which was finally achieved when the QMO&OR was sold to the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR).

Two projects that failed to get financing

In 1853, the Quebec City bourgeoisie initiated the Quebec North Shore Railway project between Quebec and Montreal; the project was reactivated around 1870 when Quebec City promised a million-dollar subsidy. In 1869, Curé (parson) Antoine Labelle initiated the Montréal Colonization Railway project between Montreal and St-Jérôme to promote colonization and facilitate the delivery of firewood; in 1872, Montreal businessmen became interested with the project, planning to reach Ottawa. Financing came from London and the British-owned Grand Trunk Railway lobbied secretly against the projects. [3]

Construction period

First Palais Station. Gare du Canadien Pacifique de Quebec - 1894.jpg
First Palais Station.

In 1872, the North Shore Railway started the construction . The Palais station [4] was built in Quebec City around this period. From Quebec, the railway ran a few miles north of the St-Lawrence river: Lorette, St-Augustin, Pont-Rouge (bridge constructed in 1874), St-Basile, Portneuf, Deschambault, La Chevrottière and Grondines (1902 Map of Great Northern Railway of Canada and CPR formerly QMO&OR or North Shore Railway). On December 24, 1875 the North Shore Railway transferred its properties to the QMO&OR. [5] The Quebec-Montreal section (with Piles branch; Cap-de-la-Madeleine, east of Trois-Rivières, to les Piles), and the Montreal-Aylmer section (with St-Jerome branch which was completed in 1876 [6] ) were completed at the end of 1877. [7]

The QMO&OR was the first railway to connect the city of Hull [8] to Montreal and Quebec City (1879 Tourist's Guide du Touriste Quebec & Ottawa). In 1880, it crossed the Ottawa River over the Prince of Wales Bridge to a junction in Ottawa with the Canada Central Railway. It thus linked the Chaudière Falls sawmills to Montreal and to the United States via Brockville. [9]

Construction cost

The Quebec Government paid $11.5 million; [10] Quebec City, Montreal and other municipalities paid $2.5 million. Since the Federal Government always gave subsidies to private companies for similar projects, the Quebec Government lobbied in Ottawa and finally obtained a subsidy of $2.4 million in 1884. [3] [11]

Sale to private railway companies

In March 1882, the QMO&OR western division (Montreal-Ottawa) was sold for $4 million to Canadian Pacific Railway (newly formed on 15 February 1881). [12] [13] A new Montreal terminal was then built at Dalhousie Square, from which the first Canadian transcontinental departed on June 28, 1886. [14] The same year, the Quebec-Montreal section was sold, for $4 million, to a group led by Louis-Adélard Sénécal, officer of the QMO&O ; there was a political scandal and Sénécal rapidly sold his shares, at a large profit, to the Grand Trunk Railway which now had the monopoly on the south and north shores of the St-Lawrence river; in 1885, the Federal Government bought the section and sold it back to the CPR. The CPR did not meet all expectations of the Quebec bourgeoisie: the company chose Montreal as its headquarters and expanded the railway east through the Eastern Townships and Maine. [3] In 1997, CPR sold its railway north of the St-Lawrence river to Quebec Gatineau Railway.

Piles Branch

In 1857, Joseph-Édouard Turcotte formed the St. Maurice Railway & Steam, incorporated to the North Shore Railway the next year; the project included a navigation line on St-Maurice river between Les Piles and La Tuque. [15] In 1878, the QMO&OR built the railway between Cap-de-la-Madeleine (3 miles east of Trois-Rivières [16] ) and Les Piles (Grandes-Piles is situated upstream of Grand-Mère and Shawinigan falls; the site was used for sorting, piling and transshipping of logs floated on St-Maurice river). In 1878, the St. Lawrence, Lower Laurentian & Saguenay Railway was created to build a railway between Trois-Rivières and lake St-John; in 1888 the name was changed to the Lower Laurentian Railway and it built a line between Garneau junction (Piles branch) and Hervey. In 1895, the Quebec and Lake St-John Railway  [ fr ] bought the line which reached Rivières-à-Pierre in 1901. [15] That same year, the Great Northern of Canada [17] built a line between Garneau and Hawkesbury (Ontario) so it could reach Quebec city where it operated a grain silo, (via the Lower Laurentian Railway to Rivière-à-Pierre and the Quebec and lake St-John Railway).

St-Jérôme branch

On 16 October 1876, the QMO&OR opened a railway between Hochelaga (corner of Ste-Catherine street and Harbour, Montreal) and St-Jérôme. [18] The Quebec Government made Antoine Labelle (parson of St-Jérôme) responsible for the colonization (settlement); Labelle sought the construction of a railway north of St-Jérôme to stop the emigration of French Canadians towards New England. [19]

The Montreal Northern Colonization Railway Company, formed on 5 April 1869, was renamed Montreal, Ottawa & Western Company on 8 April 1875 and merged into the QMO&OR in December 1875. After the sale of this company's assets, its charter was used to restart a company in the Laurentians under the name of Montreal & Western Railway on 25 May 1883. On 1 September 1892, the St-Jérôme to Ste-Agathe line (30.5 miles) was opened and reached Labelle on 4 December 1893; the CPR leased the line from 1890 to 1897, then bought it on 25 March 1897. [18]

On 10 July 1899, the Compagnie de Chemin de Fer de Colonisation du Nord (Northern Colonisation Railway) was formed to extend the railway to Mont-Laurier which was reached in 1909; the railway was leased by CPR for 999 years. [18]

Longueuil branch

In 1848, the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railway was already exploiting a railway between Longueuil and St-Hyacinthe; it was later purchased by the Grand Trunk Railway which transferred to Montréal when the Victoria bridge was built. The QMO&OR bought it, but would not pay the excessive fee to use the Victoria bridge.

A car ferry across the St. Lawrence River between Hochelaga and Longueuil allowed connections with railways running into the United States. During four winters – 1880 to 1883 – rails were laid on the ice of the frozen river to allow trains to cross. [20] (The St. Lawrence bridge, opened in 1887, resolved the problem once and for all.)

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Island of Montreal</span> Island in Quebec, Canada

The Island of Montreal is a large island in southwestern Quebec, Canada, that is the site of a number of municipalities, including most of the city of Montreal, and is the most populous island in Canada. It is the main island of the Hochelaga Archipelago at the confluence of the Saint Lawrence and Ottawa rivers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivière des Prairies</span> River in Quebec, Canada

The Rivière des Prairies, called the Back River in English, is a delta channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada. The Kanien'kehá:ka called it Skowanoti, meaning "River behind the island". The river separates the cities of Laval and Montreal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivière des Mille Îles</span> River in Quebec, Canada

The Rivière des Mille Îles is a channel of the Ottawa River in southwestern Quebec, Canada and runs into the Rivière des Prairies. It is 42 kilometres (26 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Trunk Railway</span> British-owned railway in Canada and New England

The Grand Trunk Railway was a railway system that operated in the Canadian provinces of Quebec and Ontario and in the American states of Connecticut, Maine, Michigan, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Vermont. The railway was operated from headquarters in Montreal, Quebec, with corporate headquarters in London, United Kingdom. It cost an estimated $160 million to build. The Grand Trunk, its subsidiaries, and the Canadian Government Railways were precursors of today's Canadian National Railway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Jérôme</span> City in Quebec, Canada

Saint-Jérôme is a suburban city located about 45 kilometres (28 mi) northwest of Montreal on the Rivière du Nord. It is part of the North Shore sector of Greater Montreal. It is a gateway to the Laurentian Mountains and its resorts via the Autoroute des Laurentides.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fassett, Quebec</span> Municipality in Quebec, Canada

Fassett is a municipality and village in the Papineau Regional County Municipality in Quebec, Canada, located on the north shore of the Ottawa River east of Montebello.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint-Jérôme line</span> Commuter rail line in Greater Montreal

Saint-Jérôme is a commuter railway line in Greater Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It is operated by Exo, the organization that operates public transport services across this region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gare du Palais</span> Railway station in Quebec, Canada

Gare du Palais is a train and bus station in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. Its name comes from its proximity to the former location of the Palace of the Intendant of New France. It is served by Via Rail, Canada's national passenger railway, and by the private coach company Orléans Express.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prévost, Quebec</span> City in Quebec, Canada

Prévost is a town within the La Rivière-du-Nord Regional County Municipality, Quebec, Canada, and the administrative region of Laurentides in the Laurentian Mountains, north of Montreal. It was created in 1973 from the amalgamation of the former villages of Shawbridge and Lesage with old Prévost on the other side of the Rivière du Nord. Shawbridge was named after William Shaw (1805-1894) who settled in the township of Abercromby in 1847 and built the first bridge over the Rivière du Nord.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemin du Roy</span> Road in western Quebec

The Chemin du Roy is a historic road along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec. The road begins in Repentigny and extends almost 280 kilometres (170 mi) eastward towards Quebec City, its eastern terminus. Most of the Chemin du Roy today follows along the present-day Quebec Route 138. The modern expressway that replaces both Route 138 and the Chemin du Roy through most of its course is Quebec Autoroute 40.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Quebec Route 335</span> Highway in Quebec

Route 335 is a north-south regional route located on the north shore of the St. Lawrence River. from Montreal It serves the administrative regions of Montreal, Laval, Laurentides, and Lanaudière. It is the only secondary road whose route crosses the Island of Montreal. Between Autoroute 440 in Laval and Côte-Saint-Louis Road in Terrebonne, Route 335 is located in the right-of-way of the future Autoroute 19.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Antoine Labelle</span>

François-Xavier-Antoine Labelle was a Roman Catholic priest and the person principally responsible for the settlement of the Laurentians. He is also referred to as "Curé Labelle" and sometimes, the "King of the North."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours, Quebec</span> Municipality in Quebec, Canada

Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours is a municipality in the Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. It is located along the Ottawa River, about 55 kilometres (34 mi) east of Gatineau. It was formerly known as Notre-Dame-de-Bon-Secours-Partie-Nord. It is the least populated municipality in the Papineau Regional County Municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chemin de fer de la Matapédia et du Golfe</span>

The Chemin de fer de la Matapédia et du Golfe was a short line railway that operated in eastern Québec from 1998-2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rivière du Nord (Laurentides)</span> River in Canada

Rivière du Nord is a 137 km (85 mi)-long river in the Laurentides region that flows into the Ottawa River. The river begins as the outlet of Lac Brulé where it passes near Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts and flows southeasterly. Quebec Autoroute 15 follows the course of the Rivière du Nord valley north of Montréal providing access to many cottages and vacation homes. At Saint-Jérôme, the river turns southwesterly where it continues to its mouth on the left bank of the Ottawa River. In addition to Saint-Jérôme, towns built along the Rivière du Nord's banks include Val-David, Val-Morin, Saint-Adèle, Prévost, and Lachute.

References

  1. ↑ "Journals of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Quebec". 1891.
  2. ↑ "Railroad Gazette". 1877.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Linteau, Paul-André; Durocher, René; Robert, Jean-Claude (1983). Quebec: A History 1867-1929. James Lorimer & Company. p. 602. ISBN   9780888626042 . Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rue du Palais, fiche no 1064, toponymes, ville de Québec". Ville de Québec.
  5. ↑ Act 39 Victoria, Chapter 2 of the Province of Quebec, December 24, 1875
  6. ↑ "Le chemin de fer à Ste-Marguerite". Société d'Histoire de Sainte-Marguerite-du-Lac-Masson et d'Estérel.
  7. ↑ "Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway: LEASING of the Road". The Montreal Gazette. 29 January 1878.
  8. ↑ "Outaouais' Forest History - Rail transport to the States".
  9. ↑ "Vignette C24: Rail transport to the States". Outaouais Forest History. Retrieved September 12, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Biographie – JOLY DE LOTBINIÈRE, sir HENRI-GUSTAVE – Volume XIII (1901-1910) – Dictionnaire biographique du Canada". www.biographi.ca. Retrieved Jun 10, 2023.
  11. ↑ "The Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway".
  12. ↑ "Significant Dates in Canadian Railway History". www.railways.in canada.net. Archived from the original on 2007-08-09.
  13. ↑ "Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa and Occidental Railway - Useful Information for Ottawa area Genealogists and Local Historians" . Retrieved Jun 10, 2023.
  14. ↑ Young, Brian (1978). Promoters and Politicians: The North Shore Railways in the History of Quebec . University of Toronto Press. ISBN   9780802053770.
  15. 1 2 Verrette, René. "Entre le rêve et la réalité: l'implantation du réseau ferroviaire mauricien" (PDF). id.erudit.org/iderudit/7946ac.
  16. ↑ "Mauricie; bases de données en histoire régionale" . Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  17. ↑ "Great Northern Railway of Canada". Canada-Rail. Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  18. 1 2 3 "Le train du nord vers Labelle" (PDF). www.municipalite.labelle.qc.ca. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  19. ↑ "Le chemin de fer Montréal-St-Jérôme". Le chemin de fer à Ste-Marguerite. Société d'Histoire de Ste-Marguerite-du-lac-Massaon et d'Estérel.
  20. ↑ Lapointe, Vicky (22 January 2011). "Un chemin de fer sur le St-Laurent (1880-1883, Hochelaga-Longueuil)". Patrimoine, histoire et multimedia. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.