The Railway Companies

Related Collection: Remembering CFB Rivers

Excerpt From: “Bradwardine & District, A Century & More”, Bradwardine History Book Committee, 2003 p.12

The Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) was under construction west of Winnipeg in 1881. Land surveys had been completed in Daly Municipality and were continuing elsewhere in the province. Governments of both Canada and Manitoba, as well as the Canadian Pacific Railway were actively promoting land sales and settlement of the province.

As the Bradwardine district was becoming settled between 1880 and 1890, there was a boom in new railway line construction. Many different lines were proposed in Manitoba, however, many had poor financing and were being promoted by speculators, while there were others where business did not meet expectations.
The Great Northwest Central Railway line from Forrest to Lenore was built through Bradwardine in 1902, some 20 years or more after the first settlers arrived. The Great Northwest Central line, like many other branch lines built at the time, was subsequently purchased by the Canadian Pacific Railway.

At one time, the Canadian Pacific Railway ran tri¬weekly mixed freight and passenger trains on the Forrest/Brandon to Lenore line. This was later reduced to biweekly and lastly, in the late 1940’s, on an as required basis to pick up grain cars. As of today, in 2002, the rail service has now been abandoned for a number of years, the rails have been removed, and the railway lands returned to agriculture.