Grant, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Grant is an unincorporated place, former railway point and now a ghost town
in the Unorganized North Part
of Cochrane District in northeastern
Ontario
, Canada
, located 25.5 kilometres (15.8 mi) east of Nakina, Ontario.
(NTR) in 1913. It was established as a divisional point
between the Grant Subdivision, leading 131.23 miles (211.19 km) west to the next divisional point of Armstrong
, and the Hearst Subdivision, District 2, leading 125.11 miles (201.34 km) east to the next divisional point of Hearst
. The National Transcontinental Railway was 1804.7 miles (2,904.4 km) in length, from Moncton, New Brunswick
, to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The last spike of the NTR was driven at Grant on November 17, 1913, 1283.2 miles (2,065.1 km) west of Moncton.
The town of Grant lost its importance as a railway divisional point following the 1924 completion of the Longlac-Nakina Cut-Off. The Canadian National Railway
, which had assumed control of both the National Transcontinental Railway and the Canadian Northern railway, built this new section of line to connect the two transcontinental main lines. At that time most of the buildings were removed to the new divisional point at Nakina at Mile 15.9 of the former Grant Sub-Division. The portion of the former NTR from Hearst
to Nakina became the Pagwa Sub-Division, with Grant located at mile 125.1, between the railway points of Opemisha to the west and Jobrin
to the east. By 1960, this section track was part of a marginal secondary main line, with little in the way of through freight, or passenger traffic. A 122 miles (196.3 km) section of this line between Nakina and Calstock
, the route through Grant, was abandoned in 1986.
A now abandoned airfield, created by the Department of National Defence
in the mid-1930s in part using 4,281 person-days of unemployment relief labour, lies to the south of the place. The airfield became in the late 1930s part of a string of emergency landing sites for Trans-Canada Air Lines
(today Air Canada
) to support their transcontinental flight operations.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in the Unorganized North Part
Unorganized North Cochrane District
Unorganized Cochrane North Part is an unorganized area in the District of Cochrane in northeastern Ontario, Canada. It comprises all parts of the district north of Timmins and Iroquois Falls which are not part of an incorporated municipality.-Communities:...
of Cochrane District in northeastern
Northeastern Ontario
Northeastern Ontario is the region within the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north and east of Lakes Superior and Huron.Northeastern Ontario consists of the districts of Algoma, Sudbury, Cochrane, Timiskaming, Nipissing and Manitoulin; and the single-tier municipality of Greater...
Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located 25.5 kilometres (15.8 mi) east of Nakina, Ontario.
History
The town came into being with the construction of the National Transcontinental RailwayNational Transcontinental Railway
The National Transcontinental Railway was a historic Canadian railway between Winnipeg and Moncton. Much of the line is now operated by the Canadian National Railway.-The Grand Trunk partnership:...
(NTR) in 1913. It was established as a divisional point
Divisional point
In Canada, a divisional point is a railway depot that includes more than just a basic siding or station.- Overview :In the coal and steam era, a divisional point would include such amenities as a substantial passenger station, freight and baggage sheds, a roundhouse, water tank, coaling and sanding...
between the Grant Subdivision, leading 131.23 miles (211.19 km) west to the next divisional point of Armstrong
Armstrong, Thunder Bay District, Ontario
Armstrong is a community and divisional point on the Canadian National Railway in the unorganized portion of Thunder Bay District, Ontario. The Whitesand First Nation's Armstrong Settlement is coterminous to this community....
, and the Hearst Subdivision, District 2, leading 125.11 miles (201.34 km) east to the next divisional point of Hearst
Hearst, Ontario
Hearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
. The National Transcontinental Railway was 1804.7 miles (2,904.4 km) in length, from Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton, New Brunswick
Moncton is a Canadian city, located in Westmorland County, New Brunswick. The city is situated in southeastern New Brunswick, within the Petitcodiac River Valley, and lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces...
, to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The last spike of the NTR was driven at Grant on November 17, 1913, 1283.2 miles (2,065.1 km) west of Moncton.
The town of Grant lost its importance as a railway divisional point following the 1924 completion of the Longlac-Nakina Cut-Off. The Canadian National Railway
Canadian National Railway
The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....
, which had assumed control of both the National Transcontinental Railway and the Canadian Northern railway, built this new section of line to connect the two transcontinental main lines. At that time most of the buildings were removed to the new divisional point at Nakina at Mile 15.9 of the former Grant Sub-Division. The portion of the former NTR from Hearst
Hearst, Ontario
Hearst is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is located in Northern Ontario, approximately west of Kapuskasing, approximately north of Toronto and east of Thunder Bay on Highway 11...
to Nakina became the Pagwa Sub-Division, with Grant located at mile 125.1, between the railway points of Opemisha to the west and Jobrin
Jobrin, Ontario
Jobrin is an unincorporated place and community in the Unorganized North Part of Cochrane District in northeastern Ontario, Canada.It was a railway station at mile 116.5 on a now abandoned portion of the Pagwa Subdivion, Cochrane Division of the Canadian National Railway main line originally...
to the east. By 1960, this section track was part of a marginal secondary main line, with little in the way of through freight, or passenger traffic. A 122 miles (196.3 km) section of this line between Nakina and Calstock
Calstock, Ontario
Calstock is a place in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the unincorporated geographic township of Studholme in Cochrane District. It is located a few kilometres north of Highway 11, at the northern terminus of Highway 663, just south of the Constance Lake First Nation Reserve.Calstock...
, the route through Grant, was abandoned in 1986.
A now abandoned airfield, created by the Department of National Defence
Department of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
in the mid-1930s in part using 4,281 person-days of unemployment relief labour, lies to the south of the place. The airfield became in the late 1930s part of a string of emergency landing sites for Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines
Trans-Canada Air Lines was a Canadian airline and operated as the country's flag carrier. Its corporate headquarters were in Montreal, Quebec...
(today Air Canada
Air Canada
Air Canada is the flag carrier and largest airline of Canada. The airline, founded in 1936, provides scheduled and charter air transport for passengers and cargo to 178 destinations worldwide. It is the world's tenth largest passenger airline by number of destinations, and the airline is a...
) to support their transcontinental flight operations.