Canadian Northern Ry. construction, etc.

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Canadian Northern Ontario Ry.—In an Interview at Ottawa, Nov. 10, W. Mackenzie, President, is reported to have said that the construction of the Toronto-Ottawa line will now within 90 miles of Ottawa, and he expected the whole would be completed by next fall.

The matter of the entrance of the line into Ottawa was before the Board of Railway Commissioners, Nov. 3, when the company's application for a temporary crossing of the Hurdman road was considered. The application, it was stated, was made for the purpose of establishing a connection for freight purposes with the Ottawa and New York Ry., which could be used during certain hours only. The mayor had expressed approval, but the city solicitor was present to oppose the application. The matter was adjourned In order to permit a formal assent to be obtained from the city council. The arrangement which the company proposes, which is now under consideration, is that the permission to use the crossing be restricted to two years.

In the course of a recent interview, D. D. Mann, Vice President C.N. Ry., is quoted as stating that the Toronto-Trenton section of the line from Toronto to Ottawa will be opened for traffic about June 1, 1911. The section is about 100 miles long and the grading is completed, with the exception of some rather heavy cutting between the Don and Cobourg, but this is not likely to delay the work very seriously, as the bridge work has been progressing rather slowly owing to the non-delivery of the steel work. There are a large number of these bridges along the route, the most important being:—At the point of junction with the Sudbury line; west fork of Rouge River, 500 ft. steel viaduct; east fork Rouge River, 180 ft. bridge; crossing of Bowman's Creek; Dixie Creek, 850 ft. steel viaduct; Greenwood Creek, 545 ft.; Oshawa Creek, 430 ft.; Stephen's Mill pond, 650 ft. steel viaduct; Port Hope, 840 ft. steel bridge. The last three bridges are not yet built. Track has been laid on various portions of the line between the Don Valley and Cobourg, and between Cobourg and Trenton tracklaying has been completed, and a good deal of the ballasting done. At Trenton a steel viaduct is being erected, and when this is completed a connection will be made with the Central Ontario Ry., which has come under the control of Mackenzie, Mann & Co. There will be 15 stations on the line, the most important being at Oshawa, Bowmanville, Port Hope and Cobourg. Jex & Co., Cobourg, have the contract for the erection of the stations at Port Hope and Cobourg.

There has been a change in the location of the line to Trenton from that originally laid out. The route originally surveyed crossed the Central Ontario Ry. just south of Frankford, and then proceeded in a direct line easterly, crossing the Bay of Quinte Ry. at Mud Lake, the Kingston and Pembroke Ry., at Vernon, and the Brockville, Westport and North Western Ry., at Newboro, thence working northerly to Ottawa. By an amended plan the route was changed, and starting at the boundary of Haldimand and Cramahe tps., the location now being followed is more southerly, crossing the G.T.R. near Brighton, and keeping along the lake shore, crosses the G.T.R. again at Shannonville, and works north and east to Mud Lake. With the taking over of the Bay of Quinte Ry. a further change in the route has been made. The route now approved leaves the location last mentioned near Shannonville. and proceeds south and east to Deseronto, joining up with the Bay of Quinte Ry., which line will be utilized as far as Harrowsmith, and a new route has been located from that point, joining up with the original survey at Portland. Some part of the present line from Harrowsmith to Sydenham is to be used. The Board of Railway Commissioners has authorized the building of a bridge across the Moira River at Belleville, on five instead of seven piers, as originally planned, and has authorized the Bay of Quinte Ry. to move its tracks from its yard at Napanee.

Press reports state that the company's agents are purchasing land for right of way from Ottawa to Smiths Falls, Ont., and that the projected line from Ottawa to Key Harbor will branch off from the Toronto line, about four miles southwest of the capital.

At a meeting of the board of trade of North Bay, Ont., Nov, 8, the question of the building of a line from Key Harbor to North Bay, 88 miles, by the C.N.R., was under consideration. The president of the board and the mayor reported having had an interview with W. Mackenzie. President C.N.R., Nov. 3, when he expressed a willingness to undertake the building of such a line. A committee was appointed to see what steps could be taken locally to further the project.

The Dominion Parliament is being asked to pass an act authorizing the company to build the following branch lines:—From Washago to Kincardine; from Arnprior to Gananoque, from Pembroke to Port Hope or Cobourg; from Pickering tp. to Owen Sound; from about 10 miles east of Toronto to Hamilton, London and Windsor, with a branch from London to St. Thomas and Sarnia, and a loop north of Toronto in Scarboro and York tps.; from the InterNational bridge near Fort Erie northwesterly to Goderich; from between Dunnville and Port Dover to Owen Sound or Meaford; from Washago to Midland; from Hawkesbury to an unnamed point in Leeds or Lanark county, and from Parry Sound to North Bay.

A route map has been filed at the Brantford registry office showing a line through Brant county east and west, passing through Brantford.

The plan of the proposed entrance of the C.N.O. Ry.'s Toronto-Ottawa line into Toronto shows that it will cross the Don River from the east and approach the Toronto-Sudbury line, north of St. Clair Ave., and west of Woodbine Ave. From there it will parallel the C.N.O.R. existing line, crossing the river five times, to the road from Deer Park, where it will bear away easterly, and run almost due south, crossing the Don again, and then beeping along the eastern bank to south of Queen St., thence turning westerly to the land acquired for yards, etc., along Cherry St. When the matter came before the Minister of Railways, Nov. 2, the company's solicitor was informed that an arrangement should be reached with the C.P.R. as to the location of the tracks. The question was again before the Minister of Railways, Nov. 21; the general route plan was approved and the settlement of the details was left to the Board of Railway Commissioners.

Railways: B.Q.Ry., B.W. & N.W.Ry., C.N.O.Ry., C.O.Ry., C.P.Ry., G.T.Ry., K. & P.Ry., O. & N.Y.Ry.

Stations: Cobourg (CNOR), Port Hope, North

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