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HALIFAX & SOUTHWESTERN RAILWAY
In 1901 enterprising businessmen, William Mackenzie and Donald Mann, began construction of the Halifax and Southwestern Railway, linking Halifax and Yarmouth. By 1904 the railway reached Mahone Bay. In the next year it was connected to an existing railway to Barrington Passage, and in the following year to Yarmouth. In 1910 the Halifax and Southwestern Railway transported more than 200,000 people. It was the last railway of significant size built in Nova Scotia.
AMALGAMATION WITH CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAYS
In 1917 the federal government combined the operations of the government-owned Canadian Government Railways and the privately-owned Canadian Northern Railways System which included the Halifax and Southwestern Railway. Called the Canadian National Railway (CN), the new railway took over the line in 1919. Unfortunately, many of the Canadian Northern stations, built on the line in the early 1900's, no longer exist.
On October 27th, 1969, CN disembarked its last passengers in Halifax, ending over sixty years of passenger service to the South Shore area. Freight service was abandoned in various stages between 1976 and 1993. Today much of the original railway line has been converted to hiking trails as part of the TransCanada Trail.
HUBBARDS TRAIN STATION
The Hubbards Train Station was built in 1905 on the Halifax and Southwestern Railway line. The Aspotogan Heritage Trust building is a contemporary version of the old station, which was located not far from this site. The Hubbards Train Station was a drop-off point for incoming and outgoing mail, and freight cars carried out local products such as fish and lumber. The railroad provided good jobs for local residents and also served as a popular gathering place for the community. Sadly, with the abandonment of the line, the old train station was demolished on March 26th, 1977.
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