John Fox, (1924 – 2001) was a Canadian civil engineer. He oversaw the

Mount Macdonald Tunnel The Mount Macdonald Tunnel is in southeastern British Columbia, on the Revelstoke–Donald segment. This single-track tunnel, which carries the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) main line under Mount Macdonald in the Selkirk Mountains, handles most ...

project at Rogers Pass in the Canadian Rockies, the crowning achievement of a 40-year career at

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

. The innovative 1.2 km John Fox Viaduct, just to the east of the

Mount Shaughnessy Tunnel The Mount Shaughnessy Tunnel is in southeastern British Columbia, on the Revelstoke–Donald segment. This single-track tunnel, which carries the Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) main line beneath the foothills of Mount Shaughnessy in the Selki ...

eastern portal is named after him.

Early life

Son of James Fox who came from England and operated a store in

Huntingdon, Quebec Huntingdon is a small town in Huntingdon County in the Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality and the Montérégie region of the province of Quebec, Canada. The population as of the Canada 2011 Census was 2,457. The town is southwest o ...

, John Fox attended Huntingdon Academy and later joined the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; french: Aviation royale canadienne, ARC) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environm ...

as a pilot in World War II. After the war, he studied Civil Engineering at

McGill University McGill University (french: link=no, Université McGill) is an English-language public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter granted by King George IV,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill Universit ...

and married the former Janet Fraser of

Dundee, Quebec Dundee is a township municipality in Le Haut-Saint-Laurent Regional County Municipality in the Montérégie administrative region of Quebec, Canada. At the Canada 2021 Census, the population was 386. It is primarily an agricultural area consisting ...

in 1949, the same year that he joined the CPR.

Legacy

John Fox was appointed to the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

on October 25, 1990, with the following citation: "Vice-President of Engineering and Special Projects at Canadian Pacific Rail, he was responsible for introducing innovative and environmentally-sensitive engineering techniques in the construction of the Roger's Pass Project, the single most important railway project since the building of the main line. His leadership and professionalism have facilitated the enhancement of the safety and efficiency of Canada's railway system".

References

External links

CPR tunnel builder John Fox dies at 77, Toronto Globe and Mail, Published Tuesday, Apr. 17, 2001
* ttp://www.okthepk.ca/dataCprSiding/articles/200502/pass00.htm The Rogers Pass Project {{DEFAULTSORT:Fox, John Canadian civil engineers Members of the Order of Canada Canadian people in rail transport People from Pierrefonds-Roxboro 1924 births 2001 deaths McGill University Faculty of Engineering alumni