1900-1909

Canada — 1907

Construction of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway proceeded west to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

1907

Grand Trunk Pacific Railway reached the Little Saskatchewan River. Town site one mile west to be named after Sir Charles Rivers-Wilson.

1907

Telephone service began in the Kirkham’s Bridge District.

1907

R.S. MacKenzie opened the first General Store in Rivers, Manitoba.

1907

A large amount of building material was shipped on the CPR to Wheatland and Pettapiece, Manitoba.

Manitoba — September 21, 1907

The first GTP passenger service was established with a tri-weekly timetable in each direction.

1908

The new Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line brought politicians to the area. Clifford Sifton and T.C. Norris, of Laurier's Liberal government, took full credit, with Sifton claiming that the Conservatives had opposed building the line. Conservative candidate T. M. Daly came claiming a Conservative government would be committed to the GTP. Charles Melville Hays (president of the Grand Trunk Railway) and F.W. Morse (vice-president of the Grand Trunk Railway) also visited.

1908

22-year-old Samuel White had one leg severed by a locomotive at Rivers, Manitoba, and later died. The throttle was defective according to a coroner's report, which also noted that no ash pit was provided in the Rivers rail yard for the safety of those who cleaned out locomotive ash pans. The railway company was found guilty of gross negligence.

1908

Grand Trunk Pacific Station was completed in Rivers, Manitoba.

1908

The mile-long Grand Trunk Pacific Railway trestle bridge across the Little Saskatchewan River—the longest trestle bridge of its kind in western Canada—was completed southeast of Rivers, Manitoba. At Rivers, a two-story depot with Company offices and a Roundhouse, shops and terminal yard were constructed.