tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post2824498941812743235..comments2024-03-28T17:45:28.488-04:00Comments on THE BEACHBURG SUB: Revisionist HistoryMichaelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-18466949841235970452014-04-09T18:45:38.110-04:002014-04-09T18:45:38.110-04:00Thanks for you comments. To be clear, my statement...Thanks for you comments. To be clear, my statement about the triple tracks was meant to convey the notion that in a modern capital city with beautiful parks, a canal, stately Parliament building and such, it's a curious thing to see a triple track arrangement. I stand by my statement. It seems out of place, looking at it in a modern context. At the time, as you point out, it made sense.Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-68328172292642467342014-04-02T20:06:35.298-04:002014-04-02T20:06:35.298-04:00Michael, you say in photo 3 out of 6 that three tr...Michael, you say in photo 3 out of 6 that three tracks is overkill. The reality is that the middle track is CPR, however the outer tracks are the Hull Electric Railway (streetcar) line. If you look carefully you should see the trolley posts and wires. There was a loop and terminus next to the Chateau Laurier at canal level and stairs up to Wellington/Rideau St. A fire at the Eddy factory at the north/Hull end in the late 40's damaged the Interprovincial Bridge and led to end of all HER service afterwards soon afterwards.Condor Counterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17967062783005960814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-17482227868392597702014-03-23T19:30:42.662-04:002014-03-23T19:30:42.662-04:00Just to reiterate what I've mentioned before. ...Just to reiterate what I've mentioned before. I don't think the changes that made Ottawa what it is today are bad. Many of the decisions were good moves. What I resent is the whitewashing of history, especially in this case. Michaelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07917230984518214781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-62001601137997725682014-03-15T10:01:33.338-04:002014-03-15T10:01:33.338-04:00The whole idea of 'gentrification', replac...The whole idea of 'gentrification', replacing the gritty, grimy, disgustingly polluted but highly purposeful-in-their-day downtown rail facilities seems to have swept North America. Then & now photos show a widespread effort to remove rail infrastructure from downtowns, pushing it to the outskirts or obliterating it.<br /><br />Blame the car culture, governments, early-adopter NIMBYs and myriad causes. But that train has literally left the station. Might light rail be the only service allowed back in to downtowns? Seen as clean and non-polluting, it is still steel wheels on steel rails.<br /><br />In Kingston, the former K&P line along the Cataraqui River is now a trail, and there are efforts to spruce it up and further gentrify the area. <br /><br />Part of me wistfully and wishfully wishes that the tracks would return to this location and along the Rideau as well!<br /><br />Thanks for sharing, have a great vacay Michael!<br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3680264279342137192.post-7015517334866684892014-03-14T17:28:20.956-04:002014-03-14T17:28:20.956-04:00Hi,
Good post. Having grown up in Ottawa, I find ...Hi,<br /><br />Good post. Having grown up in Ottawa, I find it amazing how little about this part of its history I knew, or is talked about. I had no idea that the pathways along the Canal used to be rail lines until your blog. Similarly for parts of the Ottawa River Parkway (renamed now, I guess...). That might make an interesting future blog post, if you're up for it. I can only just remember the CP rails south of the city used to cross Hwy 16, and the CN rails that went west through Stittsville, and I guess the Beachburg Sub is basically now gone. Such is life in a government city with very little remaining industrial base. On the other hand, we can probably thank this for at least keeping VIA alive in the area to the extent they do.<br /><br />-BryanBryannoreply@blogger.com