Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway
Encyclopedia
The Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway (ED&BC) was an early pioneer railway in northwestern Alberta
, designed to open up the Peace River
district.
The ED&BC was preceded by a promotional railway known as the Athabaska Railway which was floated in the 1910s during the heady days of Canadian railway expansion. On paper it was to strike out from Edmonton
northwestward to Peace River Country
, over Pine Pass and eventually reach Prince George, British Columbia
. There were also amorphous dreams of reaching the Yukon
.
Together with the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, the ED&BC had dreams of becoming a much larger system, possibly through partnership. Chided as the "Exceedingly Dangerous and Badly Constructed Railway", it took a few years to formulate. Fires, flood, strikes and other mishaps plagued the line in its early years.
The company was rechartered in 1911 under the ownership of J.D. McArthur as the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway. Construction of the ED&BC started in 1912 from Edmonton heading toward Westlock
, reaching High Prairie in 1914, and Spirit River
in 1915. Deciding not to proceed to Dunvegan
, a branch was built south from Rycroft
to Grande Prairie in 1916 (400 miles (643.7 km) northwest from Edmonton). In 1924 the line was extended to Wembley
and it reached Hythe
in 1928.
Costs, financial depression, overbuilding by many companies in the west and World War I
all curtailed railway development. As a result, the Government of Alberta bought the railway, and leased it to the Canadian Pacific Railway
for several years.
, British Columbia
, however the entire NAR stagnated throughout the 1930s and the Great Depression
. A traffic boom returned to northern Alberta with World War II
and the construction of the Alaska Highway
and the oil industry in the Northwest Territories
. ED&BC locomotive No. 73 and several cars survive at the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton.
The ED&BC was one of three lines in Northern Alberta; the other two being the Central Canada Railway and the Alberta Waterways Railway.
Scientific wunderkind Dr. Karl Clark, of the University of Alberta
, ran out of room in the university basements, and human muscle to move the raw oilsand material he was researching at the University of Alberta, and thus he moved his washing machine, steam plant and other apparatus, to the ED&BC shop facilities in Edmonton. He continued to perfect his oil separation process with became the basis for modern-day Alberta's oilsands industry, demonstrated by Syncrude
's vast operation in Fort McMurray
.
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...
, designed to open up the Peace River
Peace River Country
The Peace River Country is an aspen parkland region around the Peace River in Canada. It spans from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.- Geography :The Peace River Country includes the...
district.
The ED&BC was preceded by a promotional railway known as the Athabaska Railway which was floated in the 1910s during the heady days of Canadian railway expansion. On paper it was to strike out from Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
northwestward to Peace River Country
Peace River Country
The Peace River Country is an aspen parkland region around the Peace River in Canada. It spans from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.- Geography :The Peace River Country includes the...
, over Pine Pass and eventually reach Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, British Columbia
Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...
. There were also amorphous dreams of reaching the Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
.
Together with the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, the ED&BC had dreams of becoming a much larger system, possibly through partnership. Chided as the "Exceedingly Dangerous and Badly Constructed Railway", it took a few years to formulate. Fires, flood, strikes and other mishaps plagued the line in its early years.
The company was rechartered in 1911 under the ownership of J.D. McArthur as the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway. Construction of the ED&BC started in 1912 from Edmonton heading toward Westlock
Westlock, Alberta
Westlock is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1913, the town is primarily an agricultural, business, and government administration centre serving communities and rural areas within surrounding Westlock County.- Geography :...
, reaching High Prairie in 1914, and Spirit River
Spirit River, Alberta
Spirit River is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located north of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 49 and Highway 731.The community is largely agricultural, being located in the fertile Peace Country. Together with neighboring Rycroft, it is a service centre for the oil and gas...
in 1915. Deciding not to proceed to Dunvegan
Dunvegan, Alberta
Dunvegan is an unincorporated community within the Municipal District of Fairview No. 136 in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located south of the town of Fairview on the northern bank of the Peace River at the mouth of the Dunvegan Creek....
, a branch was built south from Rycroft
Rycroft, Alberta
Rycroft is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located 68 km north of the city of Grande Prairie and 7 km east of Spirit River. Dunvegan Provincial Park is located 20 km north of the community.-Demographics:...
to Grande Prairie in 1916 (400 miles (643.7 km) northwest from Edmonton). In 1924 the line was extended to Wembley
Wembley, Alberta
Wembley is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located west of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 724. A resident of Wembley is known as a "Wemblian", or "Wembleyite".-Demographics:In 2001, the town population was 1,542....
and it reached Hythe
Hythe, Alberta
Hythe is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 54 km west of Grande Prairie, the nearest major urban centre, on Highway 43. It is located in the centre of the Peace River Country, and supports a rural agricultural economy. It has an elementary school and a junior high...
in 1928.
Costs, financial depression, overbuilding by many companies in the west and World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
all curtailed railway development. As a result, the Government of Alberta bought the railway, and leased it to the 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...
for several years.
Northern Alberta Railway
In 1929, the ED&BC became part of the provincial Crown corporation Northern Alberta Railway. The government extended the NAR's former ED&BC line west from Hythe to a new western terminus at Dawson Creek, British ColumbiaDawson Creek, British Columbia
Dawson Creek is a small city in northeastern British Columbia, Canada. The municipality of had a population of 11,529 in 2009. Dawson Creek derives its name from the creek of the same name that runs through the community. The creek was named after George Mercer Dawson by a member of his land...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, however the entire NAR stagnated throughout the 1930s and the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. A traffic boom returned to northern Alberta with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and the construction of the Alaska Highway
Alaska Highway
The Alaska Highway was constructed during World War II for the purpose of connecting the contiguous U.S. to Alaska through Canada. It begins at the junction with several Canadian highways in Dawson Creek, British Columbia and runs to Delta Junction, Alaska, via Whitehorse, Yukon...
and the oil industry in 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...
. ED&BC locomotive No. 73 and several cars survive at the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton.
The ED&BC was one of three lines in Northern Alberta; the other two being the Central Canada Railway and the Alberta Waterways Railway.
Scientific wunderkind Dr. Karl Clark, of the University of Alberta
University of Alberta
The University of Alberta is a public research university located in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1908 by Alexander Cameron Rutherford, the first premier of Alberta and Henry Marshall Tory, its first president, it is widely recognized as one of the best universities in Canada...
, ran out of room in the university basements, and human muscle to move the raw oilsand material he was researching at the University of Alberta, and thus he moved his washing machine, steam plant and other apparatus, to the ED&BC shop facilities in Edmonton. He continued to perfect his oil separation process with became the basis for modern-day Alberta's oilsands industry, demonstrated by Syncrude
Syncrude
Syncrude Canada Ltd. is the world's largest producer of synthetic crude oil from oil sands and the largest single source producer in Canada. It is located just outside Fort McMurray in the Athabasca Oil Sands, and has a nameplate capacity of of oil, equivalent to about 13% of Canada's consumption...
's vast operation in Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...
.
Sources
- Bruce Ramsey. PGE—Railway to the North. Mitchell Vancouver, 1962.
- http://railways.library.ualberta.ca/Chapters-11-5/