The Northern Alberta Railway

The First World War ended the development of railroad construction as the war effort diverted all steel rails to Europe. At the same time, the war nearly ended all settlement in the Peace River area. Homesteads were abandoned or left to others as young men enlisted, which reduced the volume of freight moving in and out of the Peace River country. There was also little labour to carry out repairs to the tracks, which brought about deterioration of the railroad.

By July 1920, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and the Alberta government took over the management of the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway (EDBC) because it had become too costly for its founder, John McArthur.

There was a new wave of settlers after the First World War as servicemen returned to Canada and took up homesteading.

The Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway merged with the Alberta Great Waterways, and Pembina Valley Railway to form the Northern Alberta Railways (NAR) that was own by the CPR and Canadian National (CN). This arrangement ended in 1980 when the CPR sold its share of the NAR to CN.

[Back] [Top]