Brockville Tunnel

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The south portal of the Brockville Railway Tunnel, located south of Water St. near the shore of the St. Lawrence River.

The Brockville Railway Tunnel is Canada's first railway tunnel and is located beneath the city of Brockville, Ontario.

Construction of the tunnel, which runs from the northern bank of the St. Lawrence River for 527 m (1,730 ft) in a northerly direction, began in September 1854. Designed to give the Brockville and Ottawa Railway access to the riverfront, it was opened on December 31, 1860. This railway, incorporated in 1853, ran from Brockville to Sand Point, near Arnprior with a branch line from Smith's Falls to Perth. Its first train left Brockville's Grand Trunk station on January 25, 1859, almost two years before finances permitted completion of the tunnel. The Brockville and Ottawa amalgamated in 1878 with the Canada Central Railway, which was absorbed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881.

The rail line through the tunnel was abandoned in the 1970s and the tunnel was turned over to the City of Brockville by the CNR Railway. During the summer season the first 85 feet of the original tunnel are available for visitors to visit. A historical story and picture display inside tells the historical story.

[edit] References

"The Brockville Tunnel 1860", Ontario Archaeological and Historic Sites Board plaque installed west of the southern portal of the Brockville Railway Tunnel in Brockville, Ontario.