Sunday, February 13, 2011

The tunnel under Brockville...

By : Dennis Stein

   Brockville is not only Ontario's oldest city, but also boasts the first and oldest railway tunnel in all of Canada, extending from its north portal at Pearl St, and emerging at Blockhouse Island. It runs directly under the Victoria Building of City Hall, with a total length exceeding 1700 ft. The Brockville and Ottawa Railway began construction of the tunnel in 1854, to provide access to the shipping port on the river, and link it to the timber trade to the north. The railway ran to Arnprior, and through the tunnel with special height-shortened diesel trains. It was completed in 1860, which is amazing considering the size of the project, and a lack of any major mechanised excavating equipment at the time. The Brockville and Ottawa railway was incorporated in 1953, and the company decided its rail line would not be complete without the tunnel. The first train made use of the tunnel in 1859, leaving the Grand Trunk Station almost a full year before the completion of the tunnel...
   Recently,  the deteriorating north end of the tunnel, where it emerges at Pearl St. and Tunnel Ave., is being restored. Workers catalogue stones, placing them in the open area behind the William St. Tim Horton's, while they rebuid the structure, and replace the original stonework. The city has budgeted funds for the work, and hopefully the fully restored tunnel entrance will be unveiled soon. The first 85 ft of the south end of the tunnel is open to visitors from spring to fall, complete with plaques to tell the story of the tunnel. Outside the tunnel sits a refurbished Canadian Pacific Railway caboose, which was donated to the city in 1987. CP Rail owned the tunnel after amalgomating with other smaller railways, and turned over the tunnel after it was no longer used to the city of Brockville. Great oak doors cover the tunnel's 14 ft. wide by 14ft. high mouths at either end, and brickwork covers the inside ceiling. Although the rail and ties are long gone, sold off after the tunnel stopped being used in the 1970's, one can still imagine the roar of locomotives emerging from the tunnel, carrying goods from ships docked at the river...

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