P.E.I.'s railroad recognized on national stage

The construction of P.E.I.'s railway is being recognized as a major national historic event by Parks Canada.

The federal government has announced six new national historic designations including two people and three sites.

Built in 1871, the railway offered a transportation link across the Island from Tignish to Elmira.

The construction led to a $3.25 milliondebt that became a major reason P.E.I. agreed to Confederation in 1873.

The aim of the railway was to improve the Island's economy and increase tourism which it did.

But the introduction of the car reduced the use of the railway.

Passenger trains stopped running in 1968, and freight operations ended in 1989.

Now the tracks are known as rails to trails, preserving the transportation corridors where trains used to run by converting them to recreational pathways.

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