Commemoration
The Grand Trunk was incorporated in 1853 to run from Sarnia to Portland, Maine. Although it took over existing lines, new ones had to be built, including sections of the key Toronto to Montreal line completed by the noted English engineering firm of Peto, Brassey, Jackson and Betts in 1856. The Belleville station, built about 1856, is representative of the larger stations erected by this firm for the Grand Trunk Railway. Although its design was influenced by English railway stations, it is an enduring monument to early Canadian railway enterprise.
Background
Belleville Station is a variation on the standard GTR Second Class Wayside Station built by the Grand Trunk. It is constructed from Trent limestone. A similar station existed in Kingston but has since fallen to ruin.
The train continues to be an important link from Belleville to Toronto in the west and Montreal and Ottawa in the east. This technology replaced that of watercraft on Lake Ontario, the St. lawrence and the Rideau Canal.