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The Ontario and Rainy River Railway which is being buiilt scross the exrteme
southwest corner of Ontario, will connect the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western
line with the east terminus of Winnipeg and Southeastern Railway, and complete
a direct chain of railway communication between Winnipeg and Port Arthur
entirely independant of the C.P.R. Other projecting lines running north
and west from Winnipeg will eventually take the completing line as far west
of Edmonton and then the further continuation accross the mountains by way
of the Yellow Head passage and on to the coast will only be a question of
time.
It has not been easy to satisfy our local legislators, and the general public
of the necessity of such a line, but this has been entirely from the lack
of knowledge of the actual resources of teh district and its need for better
transportation facilities. Not only will the line serve as rich s gold-bearing
territory as exists in Canada, some say in the world, but it touches the
Atikokan iron ranges, which have been declared to be the largest iron deposites
in the world, it is being estimated that in one plot alone of 160 acres,
there is 2,000,000 tons of ore in sight. In addition to this there is the
copper region in the vicinity of Shebandown Lake, and when the line strikes
the vicinity of Fort Frances it will serve a splendid agricultural district
a hundred miles long and of considerable depth, extending along the north
bank of the Rainy River, and already dotted with scores of thriving and
well- cultivated pioneer farms.
It is no exaggeration to say that there are hundreds of most promising mining
propositions throughout that district. The islands of the Lake of The Woods
are full of gold, etc., and the mainland, not only along the shores of the
big lake, but around Rainy Lake, Seine River and their various tributaries,
prospectors report most promising indications. But capital is required for
to devolop these, and certain conditions must be met before capital will
be attracted. Chief of these conditions is the existence of reasonably good
tranportation facilities, and when that has been provided development will
follow of its own accord. The Ontario and Rainy River Railway will undoubtedly
do very much to supply this deficiency, and there appears to be good hope
that, as one result of the recent legislative tour, money will be forthcomig
in the near future to puch forward more rapidly the building of colonization
roads. The Legislature, of course, can only spend so such money as the people
approve when satisfied of the necessity of the expenditure.
It is a mistake to imagine that money being spent in opening up a new section
of the country, as for instance, this Rainy River section, is alone benifitting
the immediate locality concerned. the development ofthe of New Ontario will
mean the establishment of hundreds of camps and the settling in that territory
of thousands of miners, where now it is all an unpeople solitude. This means
that immediate expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars in machinery
and a steady market for supplies and manufactured goods of the eastern farmer
and manufacturer. One part of the country does not prosper without the direct
benefit of the whole, and he can see but a very short distance in front
of him who questions the judiciuos expenditure of funds in legitimate public
works in a section so full od promise, simply becasue he happens to be located
a few miles away.
If indications are worth anything, the territory lying between the head
of Lake Superior and the Manitoban boundry will some day be as rich and
prosperous as any section of Canada, and whether that day be hastend or
retarded depends almost entirely upon the speed and thoroughness with which
transportation facilities are provided. There has been no period in the
history of the Empire when British capital is more readily available for
safe investment, and New Ontario should be at once placed in a position
to compete for its share. --- Port Arthur Herald.
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