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Halifax and South Western Railway

By John R. Cameron

The legislative story of the Halifax and South Western itself begins in 1901 and involves another 34 statutes over the next twelve years. The government of the province, anxious to see a railway from Halifax to Yarmouth on the south shore, proposed substantial aid (1901, c.3). Any part of the railway already constructed (such as the line from Yarmouth to Barrington built by the Coast Railway) was eligible for the same aid. A corporation to construct the new railway could be established by proclamation, letting it get started faster. Cabinet was authorized to buy the line from Yarmouth to Barrington, if need be. The aid promised was a loan of $10,000 per mile, rather than a subsidy. In all likelihood, Mackenzie and Mann had already approached the provincial government.

The H&SW contract was ratified in 1902 (c.1) for a railroad from Halifax to Yarmouth. The contract called for construction from Halifax to Barrington Passage. The province would lend $13,500.00 per mile of the main line. The company also agreed to build a line west fro the Nova Scotia Central to Caledonia. William Mackenzie signed the contract on behalf of the company, which had been incorporated August 21, 1901 (the contract was dated August 20). The line was mortgaged to secure the loans with, apparently, $3,200 per mile (the old subsidy) to be forgiven on completion. The company's charter was confirmed by 1902, c.3 (original grant July 30, 1901).

In keeping with the Mackenzie and Mann reputation for actually building what they said they would, then moved rapidly. In 1903, their purchase of the Central Railway (former Nova Scotia Central) was confirmed (c.2) at substantial expense to the province, which advanced $425,000 towards the acquisition cost and the company raised another $100,000, paid to Mackenzie, Mann & Co., by second mortgage. The Nova Scotia Southern, as noted, was simply vested in the H&SW (c.3). The City of Halifax provided up to $5,000 to pay for the right of way (c.75), as did the County of Halifax (c.83) and the Municipality of Chester borrowed up to $30,000 for its share (c.152).

The next session (1903-04) saw ten statutes related to the Halifax and South Western. Cabinet was authorized to borrow enough money to cover the costs of the agreement with the company (c.7). The City and County of Halifax sorted out their respective responsibilities for the right of way (cc.53, 54, 55). The Municipality of Lunenburg was authorized to borrow money for H&SW land (c.105) and apportioned the liability among the towns and the municipality (c.106), which included the land for the branch to Caledonia. Bridgewater had to borrow its share (c.109). The railway was swiftly moving west: Queens borrowed its share of land cost as well (c.123). However, an extension of time was needed (c.134) and authority was granted for new lines (never built) from the Caledonia branch to Liverpool, from Lunenburg to "the village at Ritcey's Cove" [Riverport] and through Petite RiviŠre and Dublin Shore (west side of the Lahave River) (c.135).

The acquisition of the Halifax and Yarmouth (former Coast) and the Middleton and Victoria Beach was confirmed in 1905 (c.1), at a loan cost to the province of $13,500 per mile for the Halifax and Yarmouth, and $10,000 per mile for the Middleton and Victoria Beach. Queens increased its borrowing limit for land from $10,000 to $30,000 (c.117) and the Municipality of Shelburne obtained authority to raise its share (c.120). Since the railway crossed a good many streets in the then-unincorporated town of Shelburne, some of which were unopened, and had graded the road thought the town, the municipality had to be given authority to close the streets to public use to avoid an excessive number of crossings (c.122). Barrington also borrowed for its share of the connection (maximum $6,000) (c.125).

The next year, 1906, was taken up by land claims. A mechanism was adopted to settle claims with respect to the former Coast Railway in Argyle, at the expense of the H&SW (c.128). A street near Halifax was diverted (Dutch Village Road from Fairview to the head of the North West Arm) to simplify the crossing (c.129). Liverpool agreed to provide a right of way and station grounds, and to share in the cost of the right of way in Queens County (c.147), and Shelburne borrowed up to $3,000 for its share of right of way costs (c.151).

The mortgages on the railway were consolidated and interest capitalized in 1907 (c.11). The company's powers were extended to include telegraph, telephone, gas and electricity (c.12). Liverpool agreed to provide land for a short spur connecting the main line with the waterfront (1908, c.125). The survey in Queens County from one mile east of Broad River to the western boundary of Queens understated the size of the land to be taken; the larger area was vested in the company and Queens had to pay for it (1908, c.127).

In 1911, the Halifax and South Western was authorized to sell the lands it had received as part of its purchase of the Central Railway (the original Crown land grant) if the proceeds were used to pay down the debt due the province (c.27). Title problems in the Shelburne revised right of way were resolved (1911, c.78).

A new statute (1912, c.27) authorized the H&SW to issue new bonds up to $20,000 per mile of its railway, including acquisitions (which by this time included the Liverpool and Milton). The province credited the company with the $3,200 per mile subsidy on the lines from Halifax to Mahone Junction and from Bridgewater to Barrington Passage, the lines actually built by the H&SW. Also credited were the whole of the Middleton and Victoria Beach (the subsidy for which had earlier been cancelled), the Liverpool and Milton (which apparently never got a subsidy) and the branches to Caledonia Corner and to Torbrook Mines. Interestingly, the bonds were to be guaranteed by the Canadian Northern. Financing was also the subject of the last statute to refer to the Halifax and South Western (1913, c.64).

[SOURCE: A Legislative History of Nova Scotia Railways, by John R. Cameron, 1999.]

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