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35-448: Hudson Bay Railway refers to two separate companies with the same name: Hudson Bay Railway (1910) organized in 1910 to build a railway line to the shore of Hudson Bay. Hudson Bay Railway (1997) , a short line railway organized in 1997 to operate a railway line divested by CN Rail Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with

70-540: A federal land grant of 12,800 acres per mile (deemed worth 50 cents per acre) above the 54th parallel, but 6,400 acres per mile ($ 1 per acre) for below. Charter owner Hugh McKay Sutherland , unable to attract financing for the risky venture, accepted a bloated contract bid from the Mann and Holt partnership in 1886. The contractors, who provided all financing, were secured by the issue of company stock and bonds. Possibly for financing purposes, Ross and Mackenzie joined

105-608: A general manager for financier Darius Ogden Mills on several engineering contracts. He died in Oscawana-on-the Hudson, New York , on June 21, 1905. His first major project was the San Francisco seawall. This project took three years and involved constructing ferry slips and seawalls for the San Francisco Harbor . His son Andrew Jr. was born in San Francisco. In 1879, Onderdonk won

140-479: A major transportation route through the mountains and to eastern markets. Historians estimate Onderdonk arranged to bring in six and a half thousand Chinese from China and many more thousand from California. The Chinese workers were assigned to crews separate from the white workers and often given the most dangerous jobs, including the tunnel blasting, using the highly unstable nitroglycerin explosive . Many Chinese were killed in accidents or died of scurvy during

175-830: A series of contracts to build the western section of what is now the Canadian Pacific Railway . Working directly for the Canadian government , he built the 227 mile (365 km) section from Port Moody , 11 miles east of Vancouver and tidewater at the coast, northeastward to Savona (near Kamloops ). When those sections were complete, he continued building eastward under contract with the Canadian Pacific Railway, until he ran out of rail in Eagle Pass in 1885. Onderdonk and his wife moved to Yale, British Columbia , so that he could supervise

210-536: The Bay as an important trade route from the 1680s. By the late 1800s, the landlocked Canadian Prairies envisioned the Bay as a more economical outlet for wheat exports. Robert Bell 's 1875–1880 surveys listed the advantages of a rail line. Although the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) monopoly clause would block most Manitoba charter applications in the early 1880s, the federal government approved two charters in 1880, one for

245-530: The Department of Railways and Canals assumed control of the HBR from CNR. Following a new location survey and better port surveys in 1927 carried out by the engineer in charge of location John Leslie Charles , Churchill was substituted as the terminus, owing to its natural harbour. Work recommenced, but minimal maintenance during the intervening years had left the line in a state of disrepair, limiting safe use to

280-578: The Little River to Shuswap Lake . The line generally follows the shore of Shuswap Lake except for a short cut through Notch Hill. Leaving the lake at Sicamous (in Onderdonk's day called Eagle Pass Landing), the line goes up the Eagle River towards Eagle Pass . Navigable waters along this entire section of the route enabled supply of construction materials by the steamboats that traveled

315-722: The Nelson Valley Railway and Transportation Company for a line from Lake Winnipeg to the mouth of the Churchill River , the other for the Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway and Steamship Company to build from Winnipeg to Port Nelson. Financial constraints forced an 1883 merger under the former name, changed to The Winnipeg and Hudson Bay Railway Company in 1887, and the Winnipeg and Great Northern Railway Company (WGNR) in 1894. An 1884 charter enhancement provided

350-464: The Chinese workers and the white workers. A white foreman was murdered by a mob of Chinese workers at Camp 23 near Lytton after three Chinese workers were fired. Generally management considered the Chinese to be efficient, hard-working and well-behaved workers, although many thousands deserted to the goldfields rather than stay in the harsh conditions of the railway camps. When Onderdonk finished

385-462: The Chinese, as employers took advantage of their immigrant status and lack of language skills by paying them lower wages. Onderdonk told the Canadian government that if he could not use Chinese workers, the railway could not be built. The people and government of British Columbia were forced to accept the Canadian government's method of keeping costs down in order to get the railway built to complete

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420-420: The HBR. First was an attempt by Sutherland to employ another contractor to continue the project. Second was the federal proposal to change the HBR route to west of the lake. In the 1896 charter amendment to reactivate progress, the $ 80,000 mail contract was split, so that $ 40,000 was payable after reaching half way, and the balance payable on reaching the river. Furthermore, if Sutherland proved unable to reactivate

455-553: The Thompson and Shuswap rivers. In the summer of 1885, Onderdonk's workers ran out of rail at a location that was later called Craigellachie . The railway construction from the east reached that point in November and the last spike was hammered home on November 7, 1885. After his work for the Canadian Pacific Railway, Onderdonk was successful in gaining more contracts for railway and canal construction, mostly in eastern Canada and

490-579: The company hospital. They were left to the aid of their fellow workers. At the end of construction, the Chinese labour contracting companies abandoned their charges; thousands of workers were left stranded and living in caves without food and water in the desert heat of the mountains surrounding Spences Bridge . They were not able to leave the area until white charities in Vancouver sponsored tickets for their transport back to China or California. Discrimination and racism led to occasional fights between

525-547: The construction. Yale was the head of navigation for steamships on the Fraser River and very near the starting point at Emory's Bar for his first contract. It was not until 1882 that the contract was let for the section between Yale and Port Moody . One of the more controversial aspects of Onderdonk's work in British Columbia was his use of Chinese workers as labourers. From Emory's Bar to Savona ,

560-639: The continuation of the route. Early Canadian filmmaker Frank Holmes directed a 52-minute film, Seaport of the Prairies , documenting the endeavour. Participants included Charles Frederick Gray , the Mayor of Winnipeg , and William Ivens , an MLA , and J.L. Thomas, founder of the North Country Tourist Association. Development opportunities included ore resources, pulp and paper, hydro-electric, and grain shipping . In 1926,

595-535: The emerging rail network became the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). A new federal charter granted the following year, comprised extensive new routes. During May to the beginning of October, 1899, track laying extended 50 kilometres (31 mi) to Swan River . The next year, tracks extended 150 kilometres (93 mi) to Erwood, Saskatchewan . It is unclear if the weekly train from Swan River to Erwood ran regularly after 1904. Prompted by

630-608: The federal government, further work began in 1907. In 1908, the line from Winnipeg reached the banks of the Saskatchewan River at The Pas . CNoR refused to build further north without massive government assistance. That year, the Government of Canada committed to constructing a line north from The Pas, and in 1910 the Hudson Bay Railway was formed. Mackenzie and Mann, the successful bidders, bridged

665-557: The final route, but in 1912, Mackenzie and Mann extended this stub north to Gypsumville . Branching from the LMR line at Sifton Junction, track laying northwest commenced in August 1898. The former HBR land grants, and a federal guarantee of bonds issued up to $ 12,000 per mile, were available to extend the LMR line farther northward. In addition, Manitoba guaranteed bonds at 4% for 30 years for up to $ 8,000 per mile, and exempted earnings on

700-542: The first 344 kilometres (214 mi). Political interference, financing difficulties, and engineering challenges – caused by the large amount of muskeg and frequent rock outcrops on the Canadian Shield – led to numerous delays. The line to Churchill was completed March 29, 1929, and it opened for traffic on September 10. Port facilities were completed in 1931, and the British freighter Pennyworth

735-569: The five government contracts, he undertook contracts directly with the Canadian Pacific Railway to build eastward to meet the track being built from Eastern Canada and then ended at Golden, BC. Unlike the section in the Fraser Canyon, the section east of Savona was much easier to build. The route followed the south shore of Kamloops Lake, through the city of Kamloops, then along the South Thompson River , Little Shuswap Lake ,

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770-422: The government was to receive 256,000 acres of the federal land grant. However, the line failed a federal inspection and no land grants were issued for the project, leaving Manitoba unreimbursed for several years. The federal government rejected a 1894 proposal from Mann and Onderdonk to build the line. In 1895, Mackenzie and Mann thwarted possible government action that could violate their vested interests in

805-456: The lake were unlikely to recover the inflated construction bid. After Sutherland breached the contract, the partners seized $ 400,000 in company bonds, but completed only 64 kilometres (40 mi) from the junction at Gross Isle to Oak Point (Shoal Lake) . This distance enabled the contractors to receive $ 256,000 in Manitoba provincial debentures (immediately cashable by selling). In exchange,

840-541: The line changed when the US military required it to handle 300 cars per day and stationed about 7,000 service personnel at Churchill and along the route. In 1997, a new Hudson Bay Railway was formed after sale of the line from the Canadian National Railway. The current company operates over all of the original company's track. Andrew Onderdonk Andrew Onderdonk (30 August 1848 – 21 June 1905)

875-574: The line from taxes for the same 30 years. Two conditions were the province would receive one third of the land grant volume from the then northern boundary of Manitoba to the Saskatchewan River, and 256,000 acres owing from the old HBR, all such land to be selected from within the then Manitoba. Work commenced in May 1898. By the end of the season in December, the steel reached 5 kilometres (3 mi) beyond Duck River at today's Cowan . In December 1898,

910-490: The old HBR main line would continue east of the lake, cross at the isthmus, and intersect the Dauphin railway (which he regarded as a branch line) between Lake Dauphin & Lake Winnipegosis . The aspirations of the Winnipeg and North-western Railway, chartered in 1907 to build such a line, which would then instead extend farther westward, came to nought. The old HBR line was initially to nowhere, and ultimately not part of

945-492: The partnership when a further contract was signed in 1891. That year, to promote action, the government added an $ 80,000 a year contract for mail carrying, etc., when the line reached the Saskatchewan River . Although construction progress was toward the east of Lake Manitoba , the government preference became a western route, but this policy was omitted from the 1891 legislation. Foreseeable traffic volumes east of

980-455: The project, the first $ 40,000 would pass to another contender, which happened to be Mackenzie and Mann's Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company (LMR or Dauphin railway). Mann acquired control of the HBR charter, possibly in full settlement of the outstanding construction claim. The partners continued to employ Sutherland as an executive agent for many years in dealing with local politicians. However at this time, Sutherland incorrectly claimed

1015-830: The railway had to be built through the Fraser Canyon , whose immense cliffs required extensive and expensive tunnelling . He got permission from the Canadian government to import Chinese workers from both California and China . This solution was opposed both by the Anglo-European white population in British Columbia and the new province's government, which wanted to attract British railway workers as settler-colonists. The Canadian government wanted to save money by hiring workers at lower costs than would be possible with British workers. The white population feared wage decreases and job loss because of competition with

1050-440: The river in 1910–1911, and between 1910 and the start of World War I in 1914, laid steel 538 kilometres (334 mi) to Kettle Rapids (located at present day Gillam ). Port Nelson, 160 kilometres (100 mi) away, had been selected as the terminus owing to the shorter distance and easier terrain. The town site was cleared and infrastructure erected from 1912, and the completed rail bed reached there, but resources diverted for

1085-522: The title Hudson Bay Railway . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hudson_Bay_Railway&oldid=597716815 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Hudson Bay Railway (1910) The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) pioneered

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1120-567: The war effort limited the latter project. All town and railway construction ceased in 1917, leaving a ghost town. In 1915, the Canadian Government Railways assumed administration of the line. To resolve CNoR's dire financial predicament, the federal government effectively took control of the company in 1917. Both the line and CNoR later merged into Canadian National Railway (CNR). In 1925 developers sponsored an excursion to Port Nelson, to attract investors to finance

1155-429: The winter. Scurvy fatalities, due to a vitamin deficiency in the diet, were high because of the workers' dietary reliance on rice . They were given rice mats as part of their pay system, and the workers had little cash to buy supplements for their food. They owed debts to the Chinese labour contractors who had sold their services to Onderdonk. Unlike the white workers, injured Chinese workers were not provided access to

1190-886: Was an American construction contractor who worked on several major projects in the West, including the San Francisco seawall in California and the Canadian Pacific Railway in British Columbia . He was born in New York City to an established ethnic Dutch family. He received his education at the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute . He married Sarah Delia Hilman of Plainfield , New Jersey . After starting his career surveying town sites and roads in New Jersey, he headed west to work as

1225-608: Was the first vessel to berth. The Hudson Bay Railway name disappeared when the line became part of the CNR system. CNR subsequently helped develop northern resources by building spurs from The Pas to Flin Flon , opening in 1928, followed by an extension on this line from Cranberry Portage to Lynn Lake , opening November 9, 1953. Although the HBR never became a major grain-handling link, it provided transportation to areas still inaccessible by road. During World War II , plans to downgrade

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