Mackenzie Northern Railway
Encyclopedia
The Mackenzie Northern Railway was a 602 miles (968.8 km) Canadian
railway
operating in Alberta
and the Northwest Territories
. It is the northernmost trackage of the contiguous North America
n railway network.
at Grimshaw
, Alberta
to the southern shores of Great Slave Lake
at Hay River
, Northwest Territories
starting in 1961 with the proposal to Parliament and opening in 1964. The railroad was built as part of Lester B. Pearson
's vision for the north, and would ease shipment of lead-zinc ore from the Pine Point Mines.
The Great Slave Railway's operation was entrusted to Canadian National Railway
in 1966, which had been operating the line on behalf of the federal government since it opened. The line also continued east from Hay River, along the south shore of Great Slave Lake, to a mine at Pine Point
. This section was abandoned in 1988 once concentrate shipments from the closed mine ceased. The total mileage in the Northwest Territories from the border with Alberta to Hay River is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km).
In 1981, CN purchased the other half of the Northern Alberta Railways
from Canadian Pacific Railway
, allowing CN to operate continuously from Edmonton to Hay River.
, on the former NAR (north of Edmonton) to Peace River
and Grimshaw
and on to Hay River to a shortline operator, RailLink Canada. RailLink Canada consolidated these lines under the name Mackenzie Northern Railway.
RailLink Canada was subsequently purchased by RailAmerica
, which operated the Mackenzie Northern Railway between Smith and Hay River. Commodities included agriculture and forest products from northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, as well as fuel and supplies destined for Arctic
communities to be barge
d across Great Slave Lake
and down the Mackenzie River
to the Beaufort Sea
.
CN came full circle by paying $26 million for the three northern Alberta rail lines it sold nine years previously.
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...
railway
Rail transport
Rail transport is a means of conveyance of passengers and goods by way of wheeled vehicles running on rail tracks. In contrast to road transport, where vehicles merely run on a prepared surface, rail vehicles are also directionally guided by the tracks they run on...
operating in Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
and the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
. It is the northernmost trackage of the contiguous North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n railway network.
History
The majority of the tracks which the Mackenzie Northern Railway used were built by the federal government as the Great Slave Lake Railway, running from a point on the Northern Alberta RailwaysNorthern Alberta Railways
Northern Alberta Railways was a Canadian railway which served northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. Jointly owned by both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, NAR existed as a separate company from 1929 until 1981....
at Grimshaw
Grimshaw, Alberta
Grimshaw is a town in northern Alberta located west of the Town of Peace River at the junction of Highway 35, Highway 2, and bypass Highway 2A, and the Mackenzie Northern Railway...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
to the southern shores of Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
at Hay River
Hay River, Northwest Territories
Hay River , known as "the Hub of the North," is a town in the Northwest Territories, Canada, located on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, at the mouth of the Hay River. The town is separated into two sections, a new town and an old town with the Hay River Airport between them...
, Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
starting in 1961 with the proposal to Parliament and opening in 1964. The railroad was built as part of Lester B. Pearson
Lester B. Pearson
Lester Bowles "Mike" Pearson, PC, OM, CC, OBE was a Canadian professor, historian, civil servant, statesman, diplomat, and politician, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1957 for organizing the United Nations Emergency Force to resolve the Suez Canal Crisis...
's vision for the north, and would ease shipment of lead-zinc ore from the Pine Point Mines.
The Great Slave Railway's operation was entrusted to 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"....
in 1966, which had been operating the line on behalf of the federal government since it opened. The line also continued east from Hay River, along the south shore of Great Slave Lake, to a mine at Pine Point
Pine Point Mine
The Pine Point Mine is located west of Fort Resolution, Northwest Territories and east of Hay River, Northwest Territories, on the south shore of Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories. Pine Point was a Mississippi Valley type deposit. It produced lead and zinc ores from 1964 to 1988...
. This section was abandoned in 1988 once concentrate shipments from the closed mine ceased. The total mileage in the Northwest Territories from the border with Alberta to Hay River is approximately 80 miles (128.7 km).
In 1981, CN purchased the other half of the Northern Alberta Railways
Northern Alberta Railways
Northern Alberta Railways was a Canadian railway which served northern Alberta and northeastern British Columbia. Jointly owned by both Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway, NAR existed as a separate company from 1929 until 1981....
from Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
, allowing CN to operate continuously from Edmonton to Hay River.
Sale to RailLink Canada
Between November 1997 and May 1998 CN sold its lines running from Smith, AlbertaSmith, Alberta
Smith is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124. It is located on Highway 2A, approximately northwest of Edmonton, at the confluence of the Lesser Slave River and the Athabasca River.- History :...
, on the former NAR (north of Edmonton) to Peace River
Peace River, Alberta
Peace River is a town in northwestern Alberta, Canada, situated along the banks of the Peace River, at its confluence with the Smoky River, the Heart River and Pat's Creek. It is located northwest of Edmonton, and northeast of Grande Prairie, along Highway 2. The Peace River townsite is nearly ...
and Grimshaw
Grimshaw, Alberta
Grimshaw is a town in northern Alberta located west of the Town of Peace River at the junction of Highway 35, Highway 2, and bypass Highway 2A, and the Mackenzie Northern Railway...
and on to Hay River to a shortline operator, RailLink Canada. RailLink Canada consolidated these lines under the name Mackenzie Northern Railway.
RailAmerica
RailAmerica, Inc., based in Jacksonville, Florida, is a holding company of a number of short-line railroads and regional railroads in the United States and Canada....
, which operated the Mackenzie Northern Railway between Smith and Hay River. Commodities included agriculture and forest products from northeastern Alberta and the southern Northwest Territories, as well as fuel and supplies destined for Arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
communities to be barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
d across Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake
Great Slave Lake is the second-largest lake in the Northwest Territories of Canada , the deepest lake in North America at , and the ninth-largest lake in the world. It is long and wide. It covers an area of in the southern part of the territory. Its given volume ranges from to and up to ...
and down the Mackenzie River
Mackenzie River
The Mackenzie River is the largest river system in Canada. It flows through a vast, isolated region of forest and tundra entirely within the country's Northwest Territories, although its many tributaries reach into four other Canadian provinces and territories...
to the Beaufort Sea
Beaufort Sea
The Beaufort Sea is a marginal sea of the Arctic Ocean, located north of the Northwest Territories, the Yukon, and Alaska, west of Canada's Arctic islands. The sea is named after hydrographer Sir Francis Beaufort...
.
CN buys lines back
On January 19, 2006, CN announced the purchase from RailAmerica Inc. of the Mackenzie Northern Railway, the Lakeland & Waterways Railway, and the Central Western Railway (jointly known as RLGN/CWRL).CN came full circle by paying $26 million for the three northern Alberta rail lines it sold nine years previously.