Railway Project Crosses Border

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30534, 1 September 1964, Page 17

Railway Project Crosses Border

(N.Z P.A .-Reuter —Copyright?

ALBERTA, August 31. The new “Great Slave Lake Railway” crossed the 60th Parallel into the north-west territories of Canada at the week-end. The 86 million dollar project is 18 months ahead of schedule.

A giant,, noisy tracklaying machine hissed to a stop on the Alberta side of the border to permit the Minister for Northern Affairs (Mr Arthur Laing) to instal a silver-plated bolt in the rail linking the northwest territories with Canada’s rail system in the south.

The ceremony at the nameless border point on Saturday drew an unusual crowd of 150, including ambassadors from six countries, Indians, politicians and Canadian labour and . business leaders. The nearest town is Hay River, 80 miles north. The railway, started in February, 1962, begins near Peace river in' Alberta, about 300

miles north-west of Edmonton, and will run 377 miles north to Hay River, a town of 2000 people on the south shore of Great Slave Lake. A 55-mile branch is being built from Hay River to a big lead and zinc mining development at Pine Point. The main purpose of the line, being constructed by the Canadian National Railways for the Federal Government, is to ship ore from Pine Point, but the project already has stimulated interest in the development of other resources, such as agriculture and forestry.