Ontario and Rainy River Railway
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Current operator | McKenzie and Mann |
| Headquarters | Several Branch offices: Fort Frances, Ontario Shipyards: Rainy River |
| Locale | Rainy River to Fort Frances, Ontario |
| Dates of operation | 1886–1900 |
| Successor | Canadian Northern Railway, Canadian National Railway |
The Ontario and Rainy River Railway was a railway that existed briefly in the late 19th century. The company had been incorporated in 1886 to build a railway from Port Arthur, Ontario, to the Rainy River. On 4 May 1899, the chief promoters of the Canadian Northern Railway Mackenzie and Mann announced they had acquired the railway charter. Construction of the line began at Stanley, Ontario, on 1 August 1898.
The rail line ran from Stanley to Rainy River, Ontario, with eventual plans to connect to Port Arthur in the east, and to the Manitoba and Southeastern Railway, via a new steel bridge at Rainy River. After the Baudette-Rainy River Rail Bridge was completed in 1901, the company was quickly absorbed by the Canadian Northern Railway, which built a roundhouse, a bunkhouse (to house train crews between shifts), a hotel and several other pieces of equipment at the town. It was taken over and absorbed by the Canadian National Railway in 1923, and still operates as an active rail line.