The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated in September 1901 and was the operator of the
Newfoundland Railway
The Newfoundland Railway operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow-gauge railway system in North America.
Early construction
]
In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Leg ...
across the island from 1901 to 1923. For a time it was the largest landowner in the
Dominion of Newfoundland, today the modern Canadian
province
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...
of
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...
. The company was founded by Sir
Robert Gillespie Reid
Sir Robert Gillespie Reid (12 October 1842 – 3 June 1908) was a Scottish railway contractor most famous for building large railway bridges in Canada and the United States. Founder of Reid Newfoundland Company, from 1889 until his death ...
of
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
, a businessman who had interests in the development of the
pulp and paper industry and mining industry. The company was also the owner and operator of the coastal boat service, known as the
Alphabet Fleet, the telegraph line and the electrical service in
St. John's.
Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia wa ...
, Volume four, page 564
Beginnings
The company had its beginnings in 1890 when the Newfoundland Government under
William Whiteway
Sir William Vallance Whiteway, (April 1, 1828 – June 24, 1908) was a politician and three time Premier of Newfoundland.
Life and career
Born in Littlehempston, Devon, England, Whiteway emigrated to Newfoundland in 1843 and entered the ...
wanted to build a railway line from
Whitbourne to
Halls Bay
Halls Bay is a natural bay located near the Baie Verte Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Halls Bay has been the determining point for the northern route of the Newfoundland Railway and ...
at .
[ Both Reid and George H. Middleton had contracted to build it but Middleton had pulled out in 1892. To ensure that the line was going to be completed to ]Port aux Basques
Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of Newfoundland fronting on the western end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfou ...
, Reid had negotiated with the Newfoundland Government to operate the railway for 10 years. As a condition of operating the Railway, he was to be compensated with of Crown Land operated.[ Although forested land was much more valuable to Reid, if the area along the line was barren or boggy, he was allowed to select other land of his choosing.
In 1896, the company established the St. John's Street Railway Company and given permission to build the Petty Harbour Hydro Plant to supply power to it.]Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador
''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia wa ...
, Volume five, page 317
In 1896, he negotiated another contract, the Railway Contract of 1896
Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...
, to build the railway from Whitbourne to Harbour Grace
Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the 16th century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America.
It is located about northwest of ...
which gave him ownership of the entire railway (including the line to Harbour Grace) for 50 years and again of land for every built. The total of his land holdings was more than of forested land. The contract also allowed Reid to purchase the St. John's dry-dock from the government for $325,000.[
]
See also
* Alphabet Fleet
* Newfoundland Railway
The Newfoundland Railway operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow-gauge railway system in North America.
Early construction
]
In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Leg ...
* Railway Coastal Museum
The Railway Coastal Museum is a transport museum located in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. It is located in the historic Newfoundland Railway terminal on Water Street, St. John's, Water Street and contains exhibits detailing the ...
* Terra Transport
Terra Transport (TT) was the name for the ''Newfoundland Transportation Division'', a wholly owned subsidiary of Canadian National Railway (CN), created in 1979 as a means to organize the company's operations on Newfoundland.
Background
Canadia ...
References
External links
Newfoundland Railway - Newfoundland & Labrador Heritage
{{Authority control
Defunct electric power companies of Canada
Companies based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador
Defunct Newfoundland and Labrador railways
Shipping companies of Canada
1901 establishments in Newfoundland
Transport companies established in 1901
Pulp and paper companies of Canada