1.10
Canadian Northern Ontario Railway stations in Ottawa
The Canadian Northern entered Ottawa, from three directions.
Ottawa-Hawkesbury opened on 30 November 1909, Ottawa-Napanee on 2
December 1913, and Ottawa-Pembroke in November 1916. The lines used
their own bridge over the Rideau River using a
deck plate girder bridge consisting of 9 spans of 65' each to a
terminal station at Hurdman Road and Mann Avenue, also known as
Henderson Avenue. There was a 'Special Cabin'
at the northeast quadrant of the crossing of CNOR Hawkesbury-Ottawa
Line and CPR Sussex Street Sub. When the Ottawa Hawkesbury line
was abandoned in 1939, the
Canadian Northern bridge remained in use to connect the Beachburg
subdivision southwards from CN Hurdman. This section of line,
known as the Hurdman subdivision, remained in service
until June 1966.
1.10.1
Temporary Station near Rideau
River
There is a plan showing a temporary
structure
that was located near the Rideau River just west of the bridge. The
track continued straight for about 400', and at an angle of about 45
degrees to Hurdman Road. The station would have been between the
railway and the river, close to Hurdman Road. The station was located about 150' from the end of
track on the south side, at Mile 57.40 from Hawkesbury (possibly a
drafting error - it should possibly be 56.40.). It is doubtful whether
this was ever built bearing in mind that the Henderson Street or
Hurdman station (see 1.10.2 below) which was also regarded as a
temporary station, was ready for the opening to traffic on 5 December
1909.
1.10.2 Henderson Street or Hurdman Station
The extension towards Mann Avenue began
about
100' from the west end of the bridge. After a short distance as a
single track, it split into two tracks that
ran together to the end of track at Mile 57.37. The new station,
known as Henderson Street, was sandwiched between the west side of the
two tracks and Hurdman Road near Mile 57.28. A freight shed was
opposite the station on the north side of the tracks. This
is the station seen in photos in the Public
Archives (C-30310 and PA-165400) which show the first
CNOR train into Ottawa on 5 Dec 1909. It is
not known how long this station was used for passenger trains. An
interchange between the GTR and the CNOR was in use by April
1916. This was located where the former CAR Alexandria line and
the CNOR crossed at Hurdman. The connection was in the south west
quadrant which would have required a reverse move for CNOR trains to
and from Hawkesbury. A 1916 CNOR condensed plan shows a quadrant
in the north
west quadrant but no evidence of this can be seen in air
photos and it is doubtful that it was ever built. Although
the new connection was used by the Ottawa - Toronto trains,
mixed trains on the line to Pembroke continued to use Henderson Avenue.
Connections were provided at Rideau Junction, (Federal) for Central
Station but mixed passenger trains continued to use Henderson Avenue
until the early 1920's at least.
1.10.3 Rideau Junction
A station was opened at the point of
separation
of the Canadian Northern Ontario lines to Toronto and North Bay, just
west of the bridge over the Rideau River at Hogs Back. It appears
this was in place for the opening of the Toronto line on 3 December
1913 and was certainly in place by February 1915 (BRC Inspectors
report) and before the opening of the North Bay line on 15 October 1915.
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