The Grand Trunk had quickly evolved into the most important railway in Canada, connecting the east coast of the United States with Montreal, Toronto and eventually Chicago. The illustration at teh left is an 1857 handbill advertising the railway’s routes and services although most of the U.S. destinations highlighted were only reached by other connecting railways. Also shown is an illustration of the Victoria Bridge in Montreal, the first bridge over the St. Lawrence River, then under construction. On June 21st, 1858, the Grand Trunk opened Toronto’s first Union Station on reclaimed land about 200 feet west of York Street halfway between Front Street and today’s Bremner Boulevard. It was by later standards a modest frame structure built of wood, although at the time Torontonians were thrilled with the new station. The GTR shared the facility with the Great Western Railway and the Northern Railway of Canada (renamed from the Ontario, Simcoe & Huron Railway).

Click here to read the next in this series of excerpts from Derek’s article on Toronto’s 1st Union Station.

By Derek Boles, TRHA Historian