Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company

The company was incorporated on November 10, 1852, as the Grand Trunk Railway Company of Canada to build a railway line between Montreal and Toronto. Their transcontinental route was largely constructed 1907–1914, the GTPR operated 1914–1919, prior to nationalization as the Canadian National Railway, (name change to Canadian National or “CN” in 1960). In March 1919, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company has defaulted on construction loans to the federal government, the federal Department of Railways and Canals effectively took control of the company in 1920. GTR management and shareholders opposed to nationalization took legal action, but the GTR was finally absorbed into the CNR on January 30, 1923. Today, the majority of the GTPR is still in use as CN’s main line from Winnipeg to Jasper.