Up the Gatineau! Article
This article was first published in Up the Gatineau! Volume 12.
Railway ‘Up The Gatineau'
An excerpt from the minute book in Old Chelsea dated March 1, 1886 reads: “That a public meeting of the ratepayers of this municipality is called for Monday next March 8th at 5 p.m. in order to see what steps should be taken in the interest of the Gatineau Valley Railway.”
The railway started in 1889, reached Kazabazua by 1893 and extended to Maniwaki in 1903. It was leased to the CPR in 1902 and absorbed into that system in 1958. When the Chelsea dam of the Gatineau Power Co. flooded the low-lying land along the river in 1926 the railway line was diverted and re-opened for traffic in December of that year. As passenger service was discontinued and their freight policy changed, the CPR sold most of the stations. On the route of the Gatineau train the stops in the old days were:
Ironsides
Flag station, siding for the mine, named for the Hull Iron Mine. A deposit of magnetic iron ore had been known since 1826 when the Hull Mining Co. was formed to operate it.
Chelsea
Thomas Brigham and his nephew, T.B. Prentiss, both came from Chelsea, Vermont and it is believed that this inspired the name of the two Chelseas. Chelsea station was torn down in 1970 but used to be a busy, well-kept depot. Senator Connolly reminisces: “No one could forget the gardener at the station, Mr. Merrifield. I suppose the CPR paid him but the station garden was his own, a thing of beauty and he guarded it with his life. Not even Sir William Van Horne could have trespassed on its lawns without a warning from Mr. Merrifield.”
Tenaga
There used to be a watering tank for the train here and passengers got off at ‘The Tank’. Wishing to give the stop a more elegant sounding name, Tenaga was chosen - a Spanish word for TANK!
Gleneagle-Kirk's Ferry
Mr. Thomas Kirk came from Londonderry, Ireland, and got land on both sides of the Gatineau river. He established Kirk’s Ferry and teams and loads were ferried on a scow. Mrs. McAllister had an hotel across from Kirk's Ferry station of which, the latter was flooded in 1926.
Larrimac
Station used to be called “LaCharité" after a farmer, — Augustin LaCharité.
Burnett
Named after the Burnett family who still own property there.
Cascades
Named for the rapids on the river. Mr. Homer Cross moved the old station building to his place.
Farm Point
The Aluminum Co. mined Brucite at Farm Point and closed down in 1969. The old station is now on the property of Mr. Henry Martineau on No. 105 Highway.
Rockhurst-Wakefield
The name came from the English city of Wakefield in Yorkshire. "In the early days of the railroad it is said that a Low resident asked at his station for a ticket to ‘the Pêche‘ (old name for Wakefield). A new CPR agent was at Low and he thumbed in vain through the list of stations for that name. By the time Wakefield was identified with ‘the Pêche' the train was gone and the would-be traveller left behind." - from Miss Robb’s History of Wakefield. Students going to High School in Ottawa by train paid $2.50 a month.
Alcove
Note the historic home "The Homestead" built by James Pritchard who arrived from Ireland in 1834. The door on this house is most interesting with fan transom and matching sidelights. The commuter train during the last war came as far as Alcove.
Farrellton
Patrick Farrell from Ireland settled here. His descendant, F.J. Farrell runs a general store in the village. St. Camillus Catholic Church is a landmark. The steeple was destroyed in 1954 by Hurricane Hazel.
Brennan’s Hill-Low
Named after a surveyor. Low United Church had its 100th Birthday in 1969. Another historic home - "Brooks Hill" - restored by Mr. and Mrs. R. Hale is the farmhouse built by Mrs. Hale's great, great, grandfather, Celeb Brooks in 1859.
Venosta
Named after Venosta, Scotland by John Macaulay who came from Scotland and purchased land from John and James Maclaren in 1867.
Kazabazua
An Indian word meaning ‘water under the ground‘.
Aylwin
J.L. Gourlay writes in ‘History of the Ottawa Valley' - "Freight is carried by rail at about the same rate as by teams but it is a great convenience for passengers. By train they can do all their shopping in one day instead of the old three days, two on the road in storm and calm, and one in the city."
Gracefield
Mr. S. Grace had the first store here.
Blue Sea Lake
And many flag stops along the lake, for example, Fortin-Gravel, Orlo, New Lismore, Ellard, Rockhaven, give some indication of the number of summer people on this lake.
Bouchette
Named after Joseph Bouchette, a surveyor well known in Canada and England.
Messines
Named after a place in Northern France where Canadians fought in the Great War.
Maniwaki
Terminus of the railway. Maniwaki is an Algonquin word which means ‘Land of Mary’. Previously called Notre Dame du Désert because the village is situated on a large point formed by the Desert river. The Hudson's Bay Co. had a fort on the Desert. The first regular train left Maniwaki on Monday morning the 8th of February 1904 at 7 a.m.
On this same railway there was a short article, by Helen Stephens, in the 1978 issue of this booklet and in the 1980 issue there was a more comprehensive article by Gary Levy.