~ Brenda Grundt, wawa-news.com
Unless there is a really good magician, with a really big rabbit in his hat to pull out – yesterday at 3:30 p.m. the last ACR Passenger Train arrived in Hawk Junction, leaving with three passengers to go up to Errington’s. The train won’t go to Hearst, it will travel in reverse – all the way to Hawk Junction. Sometime today, once the Agawa Canyon Tour Train is parked on a siding in the Agawa Canyon; the ACR Passenger Train will return to Sault Ste. Marie.
Sad day. I had tears in the back of my eyes as I heard the last sounds as the train went past me. I can’t imagine how long time employees of the train must feel. Last year the ACR celebrated 100 years… now a miracle is needed.
Watch video and read more HERE
1 Comment
Sad for sure! As I recall it was the NDP that allowed the sale of the ACR and the issue at that time was similar in that The ACR sold all the land (townships) for a profit after taking our money (Government subsidies) and running! That money some odd 40 million or so went to finance their other interests mostly shipping on the Great lakes. This company now is very secure and cut all ties with the city of Sault Ste. Marie even moving their head office down south. They didn’t want the rail line and you would have thought that this sale would have been illegal at the time. Yes there are some roads to some areas but not all and most of the bigger communities have road access but the point is that this railway or line was built to transfer mostly ore from the Wawa mines to the steel plant. This ACR allowed hundreds of leases into areas serviced by this line for camps to be built in remote areas . Logging came later with better equipment and for really long distances, logging still uses this line. There are a few spots that one can drive into and witness car loads of tourists on the Canyon run. Why do people come here? That answer is # 1 the remoteness with breathtaking scenery( that is second to none as far as I am concerned) and for some people, to see for themselves the vastness and wild from the comfort of a passenger rail car. Where can you see that? We have a lot to show and a lot to offer but no one to run the train because again of the bottom line…MONEY! Shame. Keep it simple, have reasonable fares and the people will come!