Intercolonial Railway National Historic Event
Moncton, New Brunswick
Historic photograph
© Library and Archives Canada | Bibliothèque et Archives Canada, William James Topley, PA-012017.
Address :
Moncton, New Brunswick
Recognition Statute:
Historic Sites and Monuments Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. H-4)
Designation Date:
1976-06-15
Other Name(s):
-
Intercolonial Railway
(Designation Name)
Importance:
First railway connecting central Canada and Maritimes, 1876
Plaque(s)
Existing plaque: Moncton, New Brunswick
A condition for the entry of the Maritimes into Confederation, the Intercolonial Railway was the first major transportation project undertaken by the new Dominion of Canada. Its main line, completed in 1876, linked Saint John and Halifax to the city of Québec. The railway's network later extended to Cape Breton and Prince Edward Island. From its headquarters in Moncton, the Intercolonial integrated the Maritimes into the Canadian economy. In 1919, it became part of the Canadian National Railways, thus completing the second transcontinental network.