Everything about Canadian Government Railways totally explained
Canadian Government Railways (CGR) was the legal name used between 1915–1918 for all federal government-owned railways in
Canada.
The principal component companies were: the
Intercolonial Railway of Canada (IRC), the
National Transcontinental Railway (NTR), the
Prince Edward Island Railway (PEIR), and the
Hudson Bay Railway (HBR). There were also several minor branch railways in the province of
New Brunswick that were acquired by CGR during this time.
The deepening financial crisis in Canada's railway industry toward the end of the
First World War saw the majority of major railways across the country
nationalized by the federal government. The CGR played a vital role in Canada's wartime effort, moving vast numbers of troops and supplies. A notable role was the relief and reconstruction in Halifax after the 1917
Halifax Explosion and one CGR employee,
Vince Coleman became a celebrated hero in the explosion.
The first system to be taken over was the bankrupt
Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) on
September 6,
1918 whereby the government-appointed
Board of Management for CNoR was instructed to take responsibility for all CGR operations as well.
Later that year, a
Privy Council order issued on
December 20,
1920 created the
Canadian National Railways (CNR) as a means to simplify the funding and administration of the nationalized railway system.
The
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR) was nationalized after defaulting on loan payments
March 7,
1919 and entered the CNR fold on
July 12,
1920. GTPR's parent company, the bankrupt
Grand Trunk Railway (GTR) was nationalized on
May 21,
1920 and was absorbed into the CNR on
January 30,
1923.
Although the CGR only existed for a short period of time before evolving into the Canadian National Railway, it was a very visible Canadian railway in World War One due to the large scale of wartime railway operation. Large amounts of rolling stock were lettered for the CGR, although in many regions, such as the Maritimes, the public continued to refer to its trains and facilities by their old name of the Intercolonial. The CGR moniker ceased to be used after 1918 but the CGR itself existed on paper until the late 20th century, largely due to real estate leases and other agreements. A Privy Council order dated
July 22,
1993 authorized the sale of CGR to the
Crown corporation CN for one dollar (
CAD).
Further Information
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