Brockville Railway Tunnel - South Portal, Armagh Sifton Price Park
Commemoration
Construction of Canada's first railway tunnel, which runs from this point for 1,730 feet in a northerly direction, began in September 1854. Designed to give the Brockville and Ottawa Railway access to the riverfront, it was opened on December 31, 1860. This railway, incorporated in 1853, ran from Brockville to Sand Point near Arnprior, with a branch line from Smiths Falls to Perth. Its first train left Brockville's Grand Trunk station on January 25, 1859, almost two years before finances permitted completion of the tunnel. The Brockville and Ottawa amalgamated in 1878 with the Canada Central Railway, which was absorbed by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881.
Background
The Brockville and Ottawa Railway was the next generation of transportation technology linking communities on the Ottawa and St. Lawrence rivers as had the Rideau Canal a century earlier.
The City of Brockville acquired the tunnel from CP and renovated to allow pedestrians to explore the structure. It was opened to the public in 2017. It is well worth a visit for people of all ages.