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 0.0OBDON 1VILL1T. N- ^ 
 
 THE STORY OF 
 
 CANADA'S 
 
 WINTER PORT 
 
 r»- 
 
 HOW ST. JOHN AFTER BEING 
 SDE-TRAGKED FOR YEARS BY 
 THE CONSERVATIVE PARTY 
 BECAME A CTEAT NATIONAL 
 POTT AFTER THE UBERAL 
 GOVERNMENT CAME TO POW- 
 ER AND DID THE CITY JUSTICE. 
 
 \ > f 
 
 
 X<Sf,- 
 
What Conservatives Refused to Do. 
 
 In 1881 Sir Leonard '^ lley and the Conservative gov- 
 ernment at Ottawa declined to send one of the Dominion 
 dredges to St. John to deepen the water along the har- 
 bor front because the harbor was a prJHi»*c ha«bQr«»4eiLJ 
 the control of the Corporation of Cc. John. 1^"*^. 
 
 The deposits which made it dangerous for vessels 
 drawing over 25 feet of water to li^ at any of our 
 wharves were brought down the riv</^ by the freshet, 
 and in all fairness and justice should have been removed 
 by the Federal government. 
 
 But justice was denied and THE CITY HAD TO 
 BUY AND EQUIP A DREDGE to do work that should 
 have been done, and was done in every other Can- 
 adian port, by the Federal government. This was the 
 treatment that St. John received at the hands of the 
 Conservatives. 
 
 What the Liberals Have Done. 
 
 In 1907 when it was apparent that the depth of water 
 along the wharf frontage on the West side was being 
 lessened by the deposits of silt brought down the river, 
 and the owners of steamships were threatening to 
 withdraw their vessels from St. John, the matter was 
 brought to the attention of Hon. William Pugsley, Min- 
 ster of Public Works and representative of St. John. 
 He immediately laid the matter before his colleagues at 
 Ottawa with the result that the city was instructed to 
 have the work done, and told the money would be oted 
 by Parliament to recoup the city for its expenditure. 
 The dredging cost $25,000 and the City of St. John re- 
 ceived a check from the Public Works Department 
 through Hon. Mr. Pugsley to pay the bill. The justice 
 which St. John failed to obtain from the Conservatives 
 was freely accorded by the Liberal government. 
 
 •"" 'mnftLrsoRi! ,wv 
 
THE WINTER POl^ 
 
 A BRIEF SKETCH OF THE 
 FORTY YEARS AGITATION 
 WHICH SECURED THE RE- 
 COGNITION OF ST. JOHN 
 AS THE PRINCIPAL WIN- 
 TER PORT OF CANADA 
 
 ST. JOHN IGNORED BY 
 THE CONSERVATIVE PAR- 
 TY FOR A QUARTER OF A 
 CENTURY IS RECOGNIZED 
 AS A NATIONAL PORT BY 
 THE LIBERAL GOVERN- 
 MENT AND MADE THE 
 POINT OF DEPARTURE 
 FOR ALL GOVERNMENT 
 AIDED STEAMSHIP LINES 
 
 The Greac Achievement 
 of the People of St. John 
 
REMEMBER THIS. 
 
 When Sr. John) commenced 
 wharf building in 1890 to secure 
 the winter trade of Canada, the 
 rate of taxation was $1.45. When 
 the City had completed the W^st 
 side wharves in 1906 the rate of ' 
 taxation had increased to $1.90. 
 Since the Government undertook 
 the dredging and wharf construc- 
 tion the;rate of taxation has fallen 
 to $1.86. Where would taxation 
 have climbed to if the city had 
 been compelled to go on and build 
 wharves for the increasing trade ? 
 
 - j0 
 
 L 
 
f 
 
 SAINT JOHN'S GREAT HGHT 
 
 A FOREWORD 
 
 In the paf^es which follow the story of how St. John became 
 thfc Winter Port of Canada ti br ly told. 'I*o give the present 
 generation a correct knowledge of the difficulties which their 
 grandfathers and fathers had to contend against in securing a 
 trade which naturally belonged to St. John, it is necessary to 
 review events occurri) ^ during the last half century, as it took 
 forty years of continuous agitation and an expenditure of over a 
 <iuarter a million dollars to bring the first winter port steamer 
 to St. John. 
 
 Now that success has crowned th efforts of those who labored 
 on despite discouragement after d ouragement, it seems incon* 
 ceivable that the geographical petition and claims of St. John 
 for the winter trade of Canada were so long ignored by whos« 
 who controlh d the political destinies of the country. Among 
 these were both great and small men, but so fa St. John was 
 concer.ied none who could assist seemed willing recognize the 
 claims which the experience of the past thirteen years have 
 thoroughly justified ; while those who understood the ambitions 
 of her people and were willing to aid in making St. 
 John the Winter port of Canada were impotent. It must 
 be borne in mind that for the greater part of the time when 
 St. John was making the fight for her rights— or to go even 
 further, a fight to remain on the map as one of the cities of 
 Canada— the political control of the country was in the bands 
 of the same school of politicians. 
 
 When the location of the Intercolonial railway was under con- 
 5ideration it was vital to St. John that the railroad should be 
 built by the valley route. St. John wa« represented in the gov- 
 ernment of the day by Sir Leonard Tilley, one of the fathers of 
 Confederation, but he was unable to overcome the influence of 
 those who demanded the North Shore r9Ute, and the railroad 
 
4 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 went that way. The selection of a military in preference to a 
 commercial route cost Canada many millions of dollars for 
 extra construction and for operating expenses afterwards, 
 and It also delayed the progress of St. John for a quarter of a 
 century. 
 
 The same influence that located the Intercolonial Railway to 
 the injur)' rather than the benefit of St. John, was also responsible 
 for emblazoning the maps of the railroad after its completion 
 with the legend "Halifax the winter port of Canada." Sir 
 Leonard Tilley, St. John's representative, held an important port- 
 folio in the government at this time but Sir Charles Tupper was 
 Minister of Railways and completely dominated the New Brun- 
 swick representative. 
 
 Following the completion of the Canadian Pacific railway 
 from Montreal to Vancover came the agitation to construct the 
 Short Line railway to connect the Canadian Pacific with the 
 Maritime Provinces. The agitation for this railway was bom 
 in St. John and kept alive by its citizens and finally forced upon 
 an unwilling government. But again the same sinister influence 
 against St. John was at work, as the Conservative government 
 tacked on to the project the Harvey-Salisbury section, for no 
 other purpose than to side track St. John. The Senate killed 
 this project but there is strong evidence that Sir Charles Tupper 
 would have revived the scheme had be and his party, been re- 
 turned to power in 1896. 
 
 The opening of the Short Line to Montreal, which reduced the 
 railroad distance between St. John and the commercial .-metro- 
 polis of Canada from 740 to 481 miles brought St. John no ex- 
 port or import trade, and the "Liverpool of America" was as far 
 away as ever. We got the railroad in 1889, bought the Carleton 
 Branch railway to connect the Canadian Pacific with tide water 
 built grain elevator and wharf, all at the expense of the city, only 
 to leam that without steamship connections there was no hope 
 «f St. John getting the winter trade of Canada, For six yea» 
 after the opening of the Short line every effort to persuade the 
 government to do justice to St. John failed. Then when the 
 opportunity came to test the capability of the port for handljng^ 
 the winter trade of Canada the subsidy for the steamship Jiae 
 was only obtained from the Conservative government after 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 5 
 
 threats from local supporters and after much unnecessary de- 
 lay. It was by this policy of delay that St. John had been de- 
 nied justice decade after decade by the Conservative party. 
 This is in strong contrast to the treatment received by St. John 
 since the Liberal government came into power in 1896, and if a 
 dark shadow is thrown on the canvas by the comparison, it is not 
 the fault of the narrator but the fault of the political party 
 whose leaders denied justice to St. John and sought to establish 
 an artificial channel for the trade of Canada through Halifax, in- 
 stead of permitting it to flow along the line of least resistance. 
 
 The policy of the Liberal government since it has been in 
 power has been to use Canadian ports for Canadian trade. Since 
 Sir Wilfrid Laurier has been in power it has been the policy of 
 the administration to grant subsidies for Canadian ports only. 
 An attempt was made to thwart the government in its settled 
 policy by two great steamship lines but the government stood 
 by its policy and the most important of the two companies sur- 
 rendered to the government and became a contractor under the 
 new order of things. Since then there has been no attempt to 
 hold up the government in this particular and this question may 
 now be regarded as forever settled. 
 
 The government has gone even further and recognised the im- 
 portance of the position held by St. John in relation to the 
 transportation question of the D^ominion. When it was demon- 
 strated to the satisfaction of the goyemment that the people of 
 St. John had gone as far as they dared go financially in provid- 
 ing facilities for handling the trade of the country, the govern- 
 ment came to the assistance of the city, and entered into a 
 contract to dredge the sites for two wharves which the city 
 undertook to construct. Later when it was necessary to provide 
 for other wharf accommodation and the city was unable to 
 pledge its credit for this purpese, Hon. Mr. Pugsley, Minister of 
 Public Works undertook the construction ot the wharf, tenders 
 for the erection of which will soon be invited. This action of 
 the Liberal government will prove a direct saving to every tax- 
 payer of the city and prevents any further increase of the debt 
 of St. John for harbor improvements. 
 
 The action of Hon. Mr. Pugstejr in undertaldng: to provide 
 a new wharf also establishes a precedent for future wharf 
 
6 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 construction, at the same time recognizing St. John as 
 a National port, a recognition which had hitiierto been 
 avoided. 
 
 It must not be forgotten by the people of St John that 
 they owe to the Liberal party 
 
 The construction of the first Intercolonial pier at the 
 southern end of the city. 
 
 The use of this port instead of Portiand Maine by the sub- 
 sidized mail steamers. 
 
 The construction of the new Intercolonial pier and the 
 Gram Elevator at the head of the harbor. 
 
 The dredging for two new berths and the erection of a 
 wharf at the Sand Point terminal. 
 
 •7Al *!;t^*^°" o^ conveyors to connect the new wharves 
 with the West side grain elevator. 
 
 The deepening of tiie channel at the enti^ance of tiie har- 
 bor, and the improvements to navigation in the Bay of Fundy 
 
 The erection of the quarantine buildings on Partiidge 
 Island, and the cold storage warehouse. 
 
 Where would St. John have been without Uiese things ? 
 No city m Canada owes as much to tiie Liberal party as St. 
 John. The assistance given has enabled the dty to regain 
 the population lost under Conservative rule and start on a 
 new era of prosperity. 
 
 DO NOT FORGET 
 
 That prior to the construction of the West side 
 wharves in 1890 the total Bonded Debt of the City 
 of St. John was $2,733,702. At the close of 1907 
 the Bonded Debt of the city was $4,537,135, and the 
 trade still demanded better facilities or the advantage 
 St. John had gained would be lost. At this critical 
 stage the tbs I^iberal government at Ottawa was ap- 
 pealed to and decided to build the necessary wharves 
 as a National work. Where would St. John have 
 been if the Liberal government had refused? 
 
CANADA^S WDSfTER PORT. 
 
 HOW ST. JOHN SECURED 
 THE WINTER TRADE OF 
 CANADA AFTER FORTY 
 YEARS OF CONTINUOUS 
 AGITATION. Jt Ji jt 
 
 That St. John would some day become a great shipping port 
 was the dream of the Loyalist founders of the city. The early 
 merchants did their share to bring this about. Ships laden with 
 the products of the new province were sent to the West Indies 
 and to various poits in the United States, and with the money 
 obtained from the sale of these cargoes other goods needed by 
 the people of New Brunswick were bought for return cargoes 
 and a profitable trade established. In these transactions of a 
 century ago the merchants themselves generally acted as super 
 cargoes on the vessels they either owned or chartered, and there- 
 by became familiar with the requirement of the markets sought 
 for the disposal of their goods as well as the home market. Con- 
 tact with the people of other countries also widened their scope 
 of vision and created a desire for further conquests in the fields 
 of commerce and paved the way for events that were to follow 
 the successful operation of steam railways. The first meeting 
 in New Brunswick to discuss a railway project was held at St. 
 Andrews in October, 1835, ten years after the first railway in the 
 world (the Stockton and Darlington line) was opened for traffic. 
 From 1835 to 1852 when the first sod of the line between 
 St. John and Shediac was turned, the question of railroad con- 
 struction formed the principal topic of discussion between pub- 
 lic men. 
 
 Early Railway Agitation. 
 
 Many projects were discussed but principally lines of railway 
 to cwinect the Maritime Provinces with Upper and Lower Can- 
 ada, and to complete connections between the railways of Nova 
 Scotia and New Brunswick and the United States. At this 
 
8 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 period a political union between the provinces forming British 
 North America, had not been discussed, although delegation 
 alter delegation had gone to London to submit railway projects to 
 the Home government. Sometimes these delegations were from 
 different provinces, and sometimes the four provinces which 
 afterwards became the Dominion of Canada were all represented, 
 but no practical results followed until the Confederation of the 
 provinces was decided upon, &..^d then an Imperial guarantee 
 vas seemed for the construction of the Intercolonial railway. 
 While awaiting Imperial action the provinces had not stood 
 still. Upper and Lower Canada had secured the construction of 
 the Grand Trunk Railway from Samia to River du Loup a dis- 
 tance of 780 miles by giving a guarantee of 1 1 2,000 a mile. The 
 government of New Brunswick had built the line from St. John 
 to Sh-diac, a distance of 108 miles and the government of Nova 
 Scotia had completed 60 miles of railway between Halifax and 
 Truro. In ten years the various provinces had completed up- 
 wards of 1,000 miles of railway from their own resources but the 
 important link which was to secure open ports all the year around 
 for the shipment of the rapidly increasing products of western 
 Ontario was still to be built. The charter of the Grand Trunk 
 Railway fixed the eastern terminus at Trois Pistoles but the 
 section of the line east of River du Loup was not built by the 
 company, which meanwhile had constructed a line of railway 
 between Montreal and Portland, Maine, which was in operation 
 prior to the confederation of the provinces. 
 
 "Thtf Liverpool of America." 
 
 ^ During one of the discussions of the railway question in the 
 Chamber of Commerce following the completion and opening of 
 the hne between St. John and Shediac the late Hon. John Boyd 
 delivered a speech full of optimism regarding the future of St. 
 John in which he said : 
 
 Looking at our position with regard to Lower Canada, St. Jol.n must yet 
 become the winter port of that country, if we prepare for it. Portland has al- 
 ready taken from s a portion of that trade. The geographical and political 
 bearings of our province with Canada render it desirable that this trade should 
 not extend in that direction. We look forward to the early action of Great 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 Britain in adopting as her own the contemplated sfl.* n-e of iriting tie rsbtcrn 
 and western hemispheres by the Atlantic and Parific railrood. Cur ccrrtrtion 
 with Canada will place us in a direct line with this great \»ork, and Saint John 
 m a few years may thus rise to the position of "The I.iverpcol of An-.erica. 
 
 When Mr, Boyd made this speech a delegation representing 
 Upper and Lower Canada, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia was- 
 in England trying to arrange terms for the constiuction of the 
 missing links of railway between Halifax and River du Loup. 
 But while no immediate result followed the conference upon 
 which Mr. Boyd had founded his prophecy he had nevertheless 
 coined a phrase which echoed and reechced throughout the 
 province during the two great political campaigns \vhich pre- 
 ceded confederation. When Mr. Boyd delivered his speech war 
 was raging in the United States between the North and the South 
 and for the time being the project of constructing a trans- 
 continental railway through United States territory was in 
 abeyance. As early as 1850 when a conference was held at Port- 
 land, Maine, at which representatives of Nova Scotia and New 
 Brunswick were prese::i there was a project to make the eastern 
 terminus of this grand scheme at some point on the North Shore 
 of New Brunswick, and it was partly with this object in view 
 that the high sounding name of European and North American 
 railway, now almost forgotten, was selected by the government 
 of New Brunswick when construction of the St. John and Shediac 
 railway was commenced in 1862 ; and the same idea inq)ired the 
 promoters of the railway between St John and Bangor, commenced 
 fifteen years later, to name it the European and North America 
 railway, extension westward. The completion of the Inter- 
 colonial railway in 1876 wiped out the name adopted a quarter 
 of a century before for the eastern section of the road, and a 
 mortgagees sale changed the name of Western Extension to the 
 St. John and Maine railway the following year. The high hopes 
 cf an international railway over which would flow the prodiicta 
 of two continents for shipment at St. John had proved a delusion, 
 and all that is left now of this great project of the early failroad 
 builders of the province is the ferry steamer Western Extension, 
 built by the company which originally owred the railroad bt-* 
 tween St. John and the river St. Croix, ard new cwred by the 
 City of St. John ^ • 
 
10 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 St John's Disappoiatment 
 
 The people of St. John confidently hop^d thit the Intercolonial 
 railway would be built up the valley of the river St. [ohn. Tliis 
 line was 200 miles shorter than the route selected, but the politi- 
 cal influences a<a;ainst the valley route were too powerful for Sir 
 Leonard Tilley, and the hopes which St. John people entertained 
 were doomed to disappointment. The selection of the North 
 Shore route not only deprived St. John of the advantage of the 
 export trade of the west, but it opened up additional comple- 
 tion for the trade which St. John had previously enjoyed in the 
 counties bordering the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The adoption of 
 the military route by the Conservative government was a great 
 blow to the city and delayed the progress of St. John for a 
 quarter of a century. Two years after the completion of the 
 Intercolonial railway the Liberal government, which had been in 
 power three out of the nine years the Intercolonial had been 
 under construction, and which had built the Courtenay bay 
 branch of the railway and constructed the deep water terminus 
 at the southern extremity of the city -was replaced by a Con- 
 servative administration. For seven years following the elec- 
 tions of 1878, the Intercolonial railway was controlled by Sir 
 Charles Tupper, first as Minister oi Public Works, and after- 
 wards as Minister of Railways, when the department of Rail- 
 ways and Canals was organized in 1879. During this period 
 the very existence of St. John was forgotton and every effort 
 was made to establish Halifax as the Winter Port of Canada. 
 Freight for the west was landed at Halifax and carried over 
 the Intercolonial at a loss to the country, in the hope that 
 eventually the route might be adopted by the western im- 
 porters and shippers. The long haul and the many delays 
 m^de the Halifax route nnore unpopular each year, and not- 
 withstanding that the subsidized steamers carrying the mails 
 b^ween Canada and Great Britain stUijcnade waeki)^ ,caUs at 
 Halifax, little or no freight was landed and they went on to, 
 ,iP«rtland Maine to'deliyer- and receive I heircatgoci of Canadian 
 goods. TJ[je«doptk>B of the military routelpr the Intercolonial 
 fwhilciit preventedsSt. /ohn from becoming the winter port, of 
 Canada did Halifax no good. The handicap pf distance ^n^ 
 
.. 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. n 
 
 the lack of proper western railway connections were too ereat 
 to be overcome. 
 
 The Mcffantic Route to Montreal. 
 
 While the Conservative Government ^^ 9? bending every eneriry 
 to make Halifax the winter port of Canada and sending out tens 
 of thousands of maps showing the route of the Intercolonial with 
 Halifax the Winter Port of Canada" printed in red letters 
 in the centre of this map, the Canadian Pacific railway was 
 under construction. This road had been commenced as a gov- 
 ernment work by Hon. Alexander Mackenzie was handed over to 
 a company for completion when the Conservatives were returned 
 to power. Magnificient as the project was it did not extend to 
 the Maritim? Provinces but had its eastern terminus at Montreal 
 For yetirs following the adoption of the military route for the 
 Intercolonial the people of St. John had discussed the question 
 of a short line between St. John and Montreal by what was 
 popularly known as the Megaatic route. An agitation was kept 
 alive with the objec. of securing the extension of the Canadian 
 Pacific to St. John. In 1884 the question came up in parliament 
 largely as the result of public meetings held in St. John. Finally 
 a bill was passed through the House of Commons granting a 
 subsidy of 1260,000 for 20 years for the construction of a railway 
 to connect the Maritime Provinces with the west. This departure 
 from the usual course of granting so much a mile to aid the 
 construction of railways was due to the fact that 145 miles of the 
 proposed railway was through the State of Maine. When this 
 measure was up for consideration the Conservative government 
 was still so desirous that St. John should be prevented from ob- 
 taming full advantage of her geographical posit ion- that, a pro- 
 vision was inserted in the bill requiring the -construction of a 
 railway from Harvey in York county to Salisbury in Westmor-" 
 land county, whereby it was hoped to again side track St, John 
 This railroad paralleled the existing line to St, Joha and th«i 
 Intercolonial from St. John to Salisbury, There was not a man 
 who advoated this bill, which was pushed through th« Houfceof ' 
 Commons by thecrackingof thft Conservative party whip, able to,' 
 show that thenew line would save a mile in -the distance bi'tween 
 Montreal and Halifax ; but thatmade no difference, the Gonserv- 
 
13 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 ative policy was to side track St. John if possible. The ridicu- 
 lousness of the measure caused the Senate to cut off the Harvey- 
 Salisbury section — a policy which was heartily endorsed by the 
 people of Canada, with the exception of those of Halifax. Soon 
 after the measure became law the Canadian Pacific Railway 
 Company undertook the construction of the sections of the rail- 
 way to be built and acquired the connect— ^ roads in the pro 
 vinces of New Brunswick and Quebec. C June 2, 1889 t'\e first 
 train from Montreal reached St. John. The distance between the 
 two points was now reduced from 740 by the Interroloniil route 
 to 481 miles by the Canadian Pacific route. 
 
 Sta^ation in St. John. 
 
 When Hon. John Boyd r/cdicted the construction . of a rait- 
 way throupjh Canadian territory from the Atlantic to the Pacific 
 and the possibility of the city becoming the "Liverpool of 
 America," St. John had a population of 38,817. In 1871 wheii 
 the first Dominion census was talcen the population had in- 
 creased to 41,325. In 1881 the population was 41,353, an 
 increase of only 18 for the decade. But in 1877 the city was 
 devastated by a great fire which swept away mil'ons of dollars^ 
 ■worth of property and paralyzed the trade of tho community. 
 In 1891 the population is given in the census as 39,171 which was- 
 only 354 mo.e than in 1861, and 2,182 less than in 1881. In 
 1901 the population was 40,711 an increase of 1,540 for the- 
 dec-Vd3. In 40 years the total increase in the population 
 was only 1,894 — not a trery rapid growth compared 
 with other cities in Canada during the same period 
 The natural increase dlone should have given the city a popu- 
 lation of at least 55,000 or 15,000 more people than it had at the 
 last census. Between 1861 and 1901 the population of the pro- 
 vince increased 79,073 and during the period when St. John lost 
 population that of the province increased 45,526. It is safe to assert 
 that had it rtcrt be<fii for the railway policy of the Conservative 
 government St. John instead of beinj^ pushed far down on the 
 list I .' Canadian cities, as it now is, would have occupied the 
 fourth place among the ciites of Canada. The adoption of the 
 military route fbr the Intercolonial by the Conservative ad- 
 ministration which control led affairs from 1867 to 1873 and 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 IS 
 
 •which attempted to make Halifax the winter port of Canada 
 from 1878 to 1895 is responsible for the stagnation which has 
 prevailed in St. John and which has affected disastrously the 
 western section of the province of New Brunswick. This is made 
 abundantly clear by the increaje in population which has fol- 
 lowed the adoption of St. John, by the Liberal administration 
 at Ottawa, as the winter port of Canada. 
 
 St. John waited for nine years for the completion of the In- 
 tercolonial in the vain hope that regular lines of steamships 
 would be placed on the St. John-Liverpool route, but none came. 
 The railway was completed and trains were making daily trips 
 over it. Still the Conservative government gave no sign that 
 they would assist the railway to do the business of Canada 
 through Canadian ports by providing subsidies for steamship 
 lines. 
 
 The Short Line Railway to Montreal. 
 
 Twenty-seven years after the prediction that St. John would 
 yet become the "Liverpool of Americ?.,' and twenty-two years 
 after the confederation of the provinces had been consumated 
 the first train of the Canadian Pacific railway reached the city. 
 This was an important event and the people were inspired with 
 new hope for the future. They had expected that the railway 
 would at once bring its winter trade to St. John, but the winter 
 of 1889-90 passed and no move was made on the part of the 
 railway to utilize St. John for anything but local traflic. 
 There were also disquieting rumors that the Canadian 
 Pacific were seeking traffic arrangements with roads 
 having terminal facilities at Portland, Maine and Boston. 
 Negotiations were opened up between the city and 
 the Canadian Pacific Company in 1890 with the object of having 
 «ometh=ng done and as a result what is known as the Union 
 wharf at Sand Point was constructed. In 1892 the city entered 
 into negotiatons with the Conservative government at Ottawa for 
 the purchase of the Carleton Branch Railway. This road was 
 of no value to the government and had only been purchased be- 
 cause the Federal government had subsidized the St. John Bridge 
 Railway Company for the construction of the bridge at the Fa'Js 
 which rendered the Carleton branch valueless to its owners. The 
 
14 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 City of St. John was a stockholder in the Branch to the extent of 
 ♦40,000 and had received this sum from the Government for ite 
 interest. The Conservative government demanded and collected 
 f 40,000 from the city for the railway, though aware that it was 
 the intention of the city to hand the property over to the Can- 
 adian Pacific as an inducement to utilize St. John for its winter 
 trade. The same Conservative administration had granted as- 
 sistance towards the erection of grain elevaxors in the west, but 
 St. John in order to secure the erection of a grain elevator was 
 compelled to dig down into its civic pocket and provide f 40,000 
 besides furnishing a free site, to assist the Canadian Pacific in 
 the erection of the first elevator on the west side. Tlie Li.»eral 
 government at Fredericton was more generous in its treatment 
 of St. Jof.n than the Conservative government at Ottawa had 
 been, as a grant of 1 2,500 annually for 40 years was made to as- 
 sist the city in the erection of wharves, w arehouses and elevator. 
 ^ In 1902 the city had expended aboul f 250,000 in terminal 
 facilities to handle the winter trade of Canada but none had 
 come. Although frequently appealed to the Conservative 
 government at Ottawa paid no heed. The subsidized steamers 
 which made Montreal their sumner port used Portland, Maine 
 during the winter season, and no effort was made by the 
 authorities at Ottawa to brJrg about a change. The old flag 
 had been industriously waved during the general election of 
 1891, but after the people had voted in two supporters of the 
 administration the flag had been furled, rolled carefully in 
 camphor balls and put out of sight— Canada for the Canadians 
 was forgotten. 
 
 Making a Beginning. 
 
 _ Three years p?.ssed after the city had presented the Carleton 
 Branch to the Canadian Pacific and paid over the subsidy which 
 secured the construction of the grain elevator ; and not a ton of 
 ocean freight had been handled by the railway. Taxation had 
 been increased to such an extent in the city that in 1894 
 what was known as the Tax Reduction Council was 
 dected with Mr. George Robertson as Mayor. Mayor 
 Robertson was an energetic citizen. He had been a 
 warm advocate of the Short line to Montreal and was * 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 15 
 
 f 
 
 a firm believer that St. John, assisted by the Canadian Pacific 
 and the government of Canada could be made the winter port of 
 the Dominion. He worked industriously both in the Council 
 and outside of it to bring about some tangible result for the city'* 
 large expenditure, but the results were discouraging even to a 
 man of Mr. Robertson's sanguine iperament. Realizing how 
 unfairly St. John was being treated after th« large expenditure 
 her people had made he surprised the Council one cay with the 
 following message : 
 
 Mayor's Office, 
 St. Joh.v, N. U., October 34, 1«J5. 
 To tht Common Ccuncil of tkt City of St. John. 
 Gintlemin:— 
 
 I feel it to be a duty resting on me to brin^ cfrecially to the notice of the 
 Common Council a matter of paramount importance to us all, and one in which 
 th« future interest of the Maritime I'rovinces it very deeply involved. 
 
 We expected tiiat in the development of the Dominion the winter coninnerce 
 of Canada with Kurope would pass through the pcrti of the Eastern I'l inces. 
 We kn w that the ports of New York, Cost( n and Portland would be j uwer- 
 ful competitors against us for that trade, and that extraordinary efforts on our 
 part would have to be put forth to st cure this business and in that view our city 
 ium done a great deal to meet t\ demands. 
 
 vVe bought the Carleton Branch Railway, paid for it, and practically made 
 a gift of it to the Canadiai. Pacific company. 
 
 We preaented to the company, at a nominal rent of twetity cents per year, 
 the tite of the grain elerator, and paid a large p vt of the coat of equipping 
 and erecting the same, and we hare built at a very great expense, the new 
 and extensive vdianres on the western side of the harbor, costing in all, a sum 
 gaeater than a quarter of a million dollars, and aU this has been done for the 
 purpose of meeting the before mentioned expectations, but the business has not 
 come. The company, so far as we can see, is not doing anything to develop this 
 trade through this port although the idea is a national one, and in harmony 
 with the policy of the Dominion goveniment, and a part of such policy. The 
 goremment is apparently dropping the question at the crisis of its derdop- 
 ment and at the weakest point of its anticipated growth. Nor is that 
 all. Boston and Portland are now putting forth all their strength, and 
 making every possible arrangement and holding out extraordinary inducements 
 to airect this trade from our ports and secure it for themselves. These efforts of 
 Boston and Portland are the greatest menace to our future prosperity that have 
 hitherto been made against us and are making war w-' • our hopes in the most 
 effectual possible way. 
 
 I therefore most earnestly and urgently call upon ^ take the matter into 
 
 your immediate consideration snd ascertain if anythmg can be done to secure 
 ia our 'i-' ts. 
 
le 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 I rt*p3ctfully r»;jnnjnj t!ut yn app)int a cjuniltw wltli pjwjr tu confer 
 With tUe i(<>ver>i!itmtt of the Daminton and the Province, the Canadian Pacific 
 Railway Company, th* Maritime Board of Trade, Board* of Trada of tht 
 Pn»vince an J other h ,diet. and with power also to affiliate with other commit. 
 taw to consider in the fullest and wid-it Mnte this great question, and to aKW- 
 Uin what can be done to meet our eapactations and wcure our rightj with 
 regard to the »^me anj to report back to the Council at the earlieet i>oMibl« 
 tioM. ' 
 
 Clio. RoDiRTSo.v, Mayor. 
 On motion of Aid. Mcl.au:hl.in it w.m re«olved th.-it the meieage of t* Mayor 
 be received and that a co nmitte* ha appointed a» suggested. The Ma, ap- 
 pointed as such com nitt'^«> Aldw.nen McLaucUlan, Chtistir McRobbie! Smith, 
 McGoldrick, Purdy and McCarthy. 
 
 How the First S mthip Subsidy wm got 
 
 Eveuts moved rapid.y from this on. .\ few days later a gen- 
 tleman from Montreal representing the Beaver line of steam- 
 ships called at the Mayor's office and sought an interview. His 
 •tory was brief but to the point. He informed Mayor Robertson 
 that the Beaver line, which made its summer terminus at 
 Montreal and winter terminus at Portland Maine, had failed 
 to make satisfactory arrangements for the ensuing winter at 
 Portland. The company was therefore looking for some other 
 port where they could get cargo and had thought of St. John. 
 As St. John was practically unknown as a winter port, and the 
 the first season would be m experiment, he asked if His Wor- 
 ship would father a request to the Counci' to grant assistance 
 to the company to the extent of |20,00C ij ensure the owrers 
 of the Beaver line against loss. 
 
 Mr. Robertson's reply was that the matter was a national one 
 rather than a civic one, but he said to the representative of the 
 Beaver line, "Go back to your board of directors and suggest 
 %o them that application be first made to the Dominion govern- 
 ment for a subsidy, and if the government refuses to grant the 
 aid asked for then return to St. John and I will place the matter 
 before the Common Council, and I feel that they are sufficiently 
 interested to give vou a favorable reply, 
 
 A few days later Mr. W, D. Campbell, the general manager of 
 the Beaver line, accompanied by one of the directors of the com- 
 pany came to St. John to talk the matter over. The mavor sum- 
 moned the winter pyrt committee of the Council and sent word 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. IT 
 
 to Messrs. Hazen and Chesley then, representinK St. John in tlie 
 Hojjse of Commons at Ottawa. All heard what Mr. Campbell 
 had to say. and as a result Mayor Robertson and Messrs. Hazen 
 and Chesley, returned with the Montreal party that same even- 
 ing, and the whole party went on to Ottawa. 
 
 At the capital they obtained an immediate interview with 
 Hon. George E. Foster, then Minister of Finance of Canada, and 
 representing York County, New Brunswick, and explained t^at 
 the object of their visit was to ask the government of Canac- to 
 grant a special subsidy of $25,000 to the Beaver line for the 
 commg winter, in order that the capability of St. John as a 
 Canadian Winter Port might b« tested. They were able to 
 assure Mr. Foster of the hearty cooperation of the Canadian 
 Paciac company in procuring export freight for the Beaver line 
 and as that company had already their own arrangements for 
 import freight the delegation felt that enough trade would he 
 secured to make the experiment worth while. 
 
 Mr. Poster's Doubtful Promise. 
 
 Mr. Foster was an attentive listener, and while he expressed 
 the deepest interest in the project, pointed out that Parliament 
 was not in session and the financial arrangements ci the govern- 
 ment had been completed some months previous. Jr't as the 
 case was an unusually urgent one, and of th« highest import- 
 ance to the whole of Canada he promised to lav it before his 
 colleagues and arrange that the delegation should at least have 
 a hearing, but made no promise of his own support. The meet- 
 ing was held subsequently and the whole matter thoroughly 
 gone into with the government but no decision was reached at 
 the meeting. The delegation remained in Ottawa to learn the 
 result of the deliberations of the Council, and a day or two 
 afterwards Mr. Foster informed them the subsidy asked for 
 would be granted. Messrs. Hazen and Chesley were satisfied and 
 left for home-Mayor Robertson alone remained. In a subse- 
 quent interview Mr. Foster again informed Mayor Robertson 
 that his mission had been successful and that he would be noti- 
 fied officially by telegraph before he reached St. John of the 
 ■decision of the government. Mr. Robertson took the next train 
 tout he reached home without getting the official telegram. He 
 
 id^ 
 
1? 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 
 waited a few da:'s more for the promised reply and then asked 
 Messrs. Hazen and Chesley to meet him and discuss the situa- 
 tion. 
 
 A long and a serious discussion followed. The ending of the 
 
 j^^ conference was somewhat sensational, as Messrs. Hazen and Ches- 
 
 ^jljf^ leyjprepared and signed a telegram to Mr. Foster, placing their 
 
 resignations as members of parliament, in his hands, unless there 
 
 wa*' an immediate official confirmation of his verbal promise 
 
 made a week before. The reply from Mr. Foster to this was a 
 
 telegram, asking that no further action be taken and repeating 
 
 his assurance to them that the official confirmation would be 
 
 forthcoming at once. A day or two later it was duly received. 
 
 St. John had got what was asked for, but apparently had got it 
 
 most unwillingly, and in the light of subsequent events would 
 
 not have got it at all only for the persistency of the mayor. 
 
 Getting Ready for the First Winter Business. 
 
 The subsidy for the Steamship line secured, the next thing to 
 be done was to make preparations for handling the freight in- 
 ward and outward. The wharf the city had constructed in 1891 
 was without warehouse accommodation and there were no Tail- 
 road tracks to the wharf nor cattle sheds for handling live stock. 
 There was a warehouse with railroad connection on the old 
 wharf which fc.med part of the Carleton Branch property and 
 the elevator also had railway connections. An agreement was 
 quickly reached between the railway and the city regarding the 
 extension of the rails to the Union Wharf and on November 14, 
 less than a month after Mayor Robertson's message had beeil 
 sent to the Council authority was given the city engineer to 
 prepare plans for the warehouse. This did not take long and a 
 few weeks later the contract for the warehouse was let and 
 Its erection commenced. Expedition was the order of the 
 day and two months later the warehousej was com- 
 pleted, and freight was being handled across its floors 
 from the steamship to the cars. After 22 years of waiting St. 
 John was now enjoying the promised fruits of Confederation for 
 the first time. A new enthusiasm was born in the people and 
 old and young thronged to the West side to see for themselves 
 the work that was being done. So quickly had the negotiations 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 19 
 
 which brought about the first winter port season been conduct- 
 ed that the facilities were far from complete, but what was 
 lackmg m this particular was made up in other ways, and the 
 experiment proved a success far beyond the hopes of the most 
 sanguine. 
 
 The First Winter Port Steamer Arrives. 
 
 The first steamship to arrive carrying general cargo for dis- 
 tribution throughout Canada was the Lake Superior commanded 
 by Captain Stewart, a veteran in the Atlantic service. She 
 sailed up theharbor amid a general salute of tug boat whistles 
 and moored at the Sand Point wharf Decembers, 1895. The 
 Canadian Pacific people in the west had been doing yeoman's 
 service and had a large quantity of freight, not only in the yards 
 at band Point, but also on every siding and railway yard be- 
 tween Montreal and St. John. In a few hours after the Superior 
 was moored men were at work discharging the cargo which was 
 immediately transferred to cars and given quick dispatch to its 
 destination. So energetic were the officials of the Canadian 
 Pacific that the goods were delivered in Toronto and Montreal 
 hours m advance of those shipped through Portland, Boston and 
 New York, and arriving at the same time, and this excellent 
 record has been maintained. St. John had certainly made a 
 good start m her winter trade, notwithstanding many disadvan- 
 tages, and the fact that the men handling the goods were with- 
 out great experience in transferring general cargo. The holds 
 ot the Lake Superior were soon emptied and then the loading 
 commenced. This was accomplished and the Lake Superior 
 sailed away again on the 13ih ot December, having been in port 
 lu days. I he next arrival was the Concordia of the Donaldson 
 line which reached port on December 20th from Glasgow and 
 discharged her cargo at the same berth as that occupied by the 
 Lake Superior. 
 
 The Quick Despatch Through St John. 
 
 ^ One steamship after another p.rrived, and all were given quick 
 dispatch, and the record made in the delivery of western freight 
 exceeded the best expectations of all who were interested in the 
 development of St. John as a winter port. From the very incep. 
 
20 
 
 CANADAS WINTER PORT. 
 
 tion of the trade it was evident that St. John could meet the 
 competition of any of the United States ports which had hitherto 
 enjoyed a monopoly of the winter trade of Canada. At the end 
 of the season it was found that 22 steamships of 50,892 tons 
 register had been discharged and loaded at this port without 
 hitch or accident. Every one of the master mariners who was 
 mterviewed on his experiences coming to and leaving the port, 
 made favourable report and spoke in the highest terms of the 
 excellent dispatch he had obtained. The experiment was a pro- 
 nounced success and St. John was more than ever determined to 
 become the Winter Port of Canada. For 20 years following the 
 completion of the Intercolonial Railway the mail s':eamers sub- 
 sidized by Canada had been touching at Halifax to land mai!s 
 and passengers. At first they had also landed much freight but 
 each succeeding year witnessed a diminishing quantity of the 
 latter, until when St. John entered the field as a Canadian winter 
 port, all the freight for Western Canada was practically being 
 landed at United States ports. 
 
 Success of the First Season. 
 
 So successful had the first season proved that the people of St. 
 John were determined that the experiment should be continued 
 on a much larger scale. There was a clause in the contract 
 made between the city and the Canadian Pacific Railway Com- 
 pany which required the company to increase the facilities as 
 the trade developed. Negotiations were commenced between 
 the railway company and the City Council looking to the carry- 
 ing out of the contract. It was perhaps due to the anxiety of 
 the city to secure Canada's winter trade and the faith of the 
 aldermen in the capability of the port to handle this trade that 
 produced the agreement of 1896 whereby the city was to build 
 the wharves and the Canadian Pacific was to contribute 1 56,500. 
 
 The summer of 1896 was a busy time in St. John. Follow- 
 ing the agreement with the Canadian Pacific, what was 
 known as the Leary leases were acquired and other 
 properties obtained by arbitration. The new acquisitions gave 
 the city entire control of the wharf property north of Protection 
 street. Houses and sheds were razed or removed to some other 
 location. A dredge was brought here from the United States, 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 21 
 
 there being none owned in Canada that would work in our tidal 
 waters during all of the 24 hours. Plans for the new wharves 
 which extended west to Union street were prepared and the 
 work of construction commenced early in July. A lamentable 
 error was made in this matter which cost the city a large sum 
 of money and delayed the completion of the wharves for a year. 
 But so enthusiastic were the members of the Council and the 
 citizens generally, that notwithstanding the costly error, another 
 style of construction which had proved enduring in our tidal 
 waters was proceeded with, and finally the wharves were com- 
 pleted for the winter trade of 1897-8. The facilities were im- 
 proved for the trade of 1896 by the erection of another ware- 
 house on the easterly face of the Union wharf, so that there was 
 accommodauon at the new terminal for three steamships to 
 load or discharge at the same time. But the trade of 1896-7 
 ced the facilities to their fullest extent. During the initial 
 ...ason there were but 22 steamers loaded at St. John, 
 while in 1896-7 the number was increased to 46. With all the 
 facilities completed in 1897-8 there were only 48 steamers 
 berthed on the West side but the average tonnage was increased 
 by 151 tons which made a vast difference in the carrying capa- 
 city of the steamers and the amount of freight handled. 
 
 The Mail Subsidies. 
 
 For some years piior to 1896 there had been an agitation in 
 the Maritime provinces in opposition to the subsidizing of 
 mail steamers which made a United States port their final 
 port of call. This was due to the fact that the 
 steamship lines subsidized to carry the Canadian mails 
 after leaving the mails at Halifax went on to Portland^. 
 Maine, for cargo. This cargo was supplied by the Grand Trunk 
 and while chiefly Canadian produce there was always a per- 
 centage of the produce of the United States shipped through 
 Portland, and obtained by the Grand Trunk from its connnect- 
 ing line, the Chicago and Grank Trunk, which runs between 
 Detroit and Chicago. The agitation was renewed with increased 
 vigor as soon as it was diemonstrated that the Canadian Pacific 
 Railway could handle import and export trade successfully 
 through St. John. A general elelection was looming up. There; 
 
22 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 had Seen a perceptable growth in the great northwest and 
 national sentiment was being aroused as it never had been be- 
 fore. In the election campaiRn of 1891 the old flag had been 
 wa /ed aloft and the cry of the dominant party had been Canada 
 for the Canadians, and it had won out with a handsome majority 
 Judging from the attitude after the election it was evident that 
 some politicians thought that it was only a campaign cr^• and 
 failed to realize that the national sentiment of the people had 
 b-en aroused by the insulting ofiFer, of some among our neigh- 
 bours, who plainly said that Canada was for sale. The Con- 
 servative politicians at Ottawa were willing to take all advan- 
 tage to be obtained by arousing the loyal sentiments of the 
 people and then forget their pledges and promises, but in this 
 instance they reckoned without the host. Young Canada 
 was a new factor to be met and dealt with by the politicians. 
 The existing mail contract was about expiring and the Maritime 
 Provinces demanded that no more Canadian money should be 
 used to encourage Canadian commerce being carried past our 
 own ports by steap.iships subsidized with Canadian gold. This 
 open agitation was not to the liking of the rulers at Ottawa. 
 They had other schemes afoot. 
 
 The Election Campaigfn of 1896. 
 
 There were many things about the election of campaign of 
 
 1896 that makes it unique in the history of Canada but in no 
 
 place was the feeling of unrest more easily discernable than in 
 
 St. John. The people had not forgotten that the Conservative 
 
 administration at Ottawa had ignored their pretension to become 
 
 the winter port of Canada after the opening of the Intercolonial 
 
 Railway. They remembered with great distinctness that this 
 
 same government had positively declined to provide a grain 
 
 elevator at this port but had constructed one at Halifax through 
 
 which but one or two cargoes of grain had passed. They had 
 
 seen carload after carload of West India freight hauled over the 
 
 Intercolonial while the steamer that was to receive this cargo at 
 
 Halifax wKs lying in St. John, harbor— the West India line 
 
 calling at both ports, notwithstanding that St. John had onVin- 
 
 ally promoted th? line in the hop- of securing a share of the West; 
 
 ladia trade. The indifferent manner in which Hon. Mr. Foster! 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 23 
 
 had received their request to have the small subsidy granted the 
 year before was still fresh in the minds of the people. While 
 «lated at the success which had attended the inaugural winter 
 port season and fully determined to go on and provide greater 
 wharf and warehouse accommodation, St. John was smarting 
 under the indifference of the Conservative party to her aspira- 
 ations. Therefore when an advertisement appeared calling for 
 tenders for the mail service between Canada and Great Britain, 
 which was generally described as the Fast Atlantic Service, for 
 the performance of which the government of Canada offered a 
 subsidy of |750,000 annually for a period of ten years, and 
 named Halifax alone as the port of call during the winter 
 season, the people were thorougly aroused. This last act 
 on the part of the Conservative government coupled also with the 
 rumor that it was the intention of Sir Charles Tupper's govern- 
 ment to revive the Harvey-Salisbury railway project, was general- 
 ly regarded as an attempt to wrest from St. John the advan- 
 tage obtained by the successful use of the port during the previous 
 season, and to handover to the rival port the trade which really 
 belonged to St. John. The Board of Trade took the matter up 
 and it was fully and freely discussed at a meeting held in April 
 1896, and a resolution passed asking the government to recall 
 the advertisement and allow the tenderers to name the Canadian 
 port preferred for the seryice. This was not a great concession, 
 but Sir Charles Tupper who had always opposed the preten- 
 sions of St. John to become the winter port of Canada, was theh 
 Premier of the Dominion, and he flatly refused the mild request 
 of the St. John Board of Trade, although it was also endorsed 
 by the Board of Trade of Montreal. 
 
 Indigrnation in St. John. 
 
 The refusal of Sir Charles did not end the agitation, but rather 
 fostered it. For days it was the one subject under discussion 
 Parliament ntust be porogued through lapse of time 
 in a few weeks and meanwhile every effort was made by 
 those interested in the success of the Conservative party in the 
 election, which was certain to be called on, to arrange 
 matters in a manw at woulc' 'v. satisfactory to the people of 
 St.. John. : But Sir >es 1 upper, refused to "yield any grouodi 
 
24 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 
 and Hon. Mr. Foster, who had secured a nomination in York 
 county, which was considered by both political parties a safe seat 
 for him was indifferent. No compromise could be rear -i and 
 for a fortnight this agitation against the Conservative govern- 
 ment continued and finally on May 19 a public meeting of citi 
 zens was held. This meeting was largely attended and repre- 
 sentative m character. After a discussion of the question in all 
 Its bearinifs the followinjf resolution was moved by Mayor 
 Robertson and passed unanimously. 
 
 Wherca. it is the declared policy of the Government of Canada to establish 
 a line of fast mail and passenger steamships between Great Britain and 
 Canada and to subsidize the same for a period of ten years to the amount of 
 f73o,oooannually, and a call for tenders has been issued naming Halifax as 
 the winter terminal port o' Canada, the government declining to acceed to re- 
 quests of the St. John and Montreal Boards of Trade contained in the follow, 
 mg resolutions •— 
 
 The Board of Trade of the city on the ,»t ult pa.Md a resolution urRi..« upon the Doininion- 
 Gcernn^ntthtttincamnj: for tender, for the propo«>d fart h„e no c*^nadi^ vln^TZT^ 
 rn,nt.oned. but that. tb. left open to the .te.m,hip comp»nie. tendering to-i^tthrLwa 
 Canadian port, for the propoiied service. 
 
 The Montreal Board of Trade has endorsed the above and has memoralied 
 the government to have the call for tenders to read "St. John and Halifax," leav- 
 ing It to the steamship companies tendering o decide which is the better port 
 for the winter terminus. On the jth inst the St. John Board of Trade unani- 
 mously adoTJttd the following resolution : 
 
 a. JiI!!!.'"»k"iI^'"''''^'-'°''"'"'''' •'"''"'*"'"' view, before the Dominion and Imperial 
 ?1^» ■ • "T •^*'™"«"' »» •«»"»•♦«• »° ««"«» the time for receiving tenderT for 
 
 the faHt mail nervice to August lo. «"«eni ror 
 
 Therefore Resolved. That it is the universal feeling of the people of St John 
 that a grave injustice will be done to the city and province if the government 
 presist in ignonng the claims and advantages of this port, and this meeting 
 desires respectfully, but most earnestly to ask the government to change the call 
 for tenders for the fast Atlantic service, so as to give to tenderers the option of 
 making St. John the winter terminal port. 
 
 "Harvey Junction, Change Cars for St John," 
 
 This was at the beginning of the campaign which ended in the 
 defeat of the Conservative candidates in St. John and also ended 
 the ministry and political career of Sir Charles Tupper. As an 
 outcome of the agitation against the treatment received by St. 
 John at the hands of the Conservative government an independ- 
 ent paity was formed and placed Hon, William Pugsley aa 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 35 
 
 Mr. D. J. McLaughlin in the field as candidates. While neither 
 «icc^ded in getting a plurality of the votes cast, the number of 
 Totes polled for them showed that St. John was thoroughly in 
 ^mtst in Its eflFort to become the winter port of Canada and 
 was wilhng to make political as well as financial sacrifices that 
 the end m view might be attained. An illustration of the 
 length the supporters of the independent iicket wrere prepared to 
 go IS shown from a speech delivered by Hon. Robert Maxwell 
 now a menber of Mr. Hazen's government and an ardent con ' 
 servative. at FairviUe on June 1, a few days after Messrs. Pugsley 
 and McLaughlin had accepted nomination. After discussing 
 the nunierous issues before the people Mr. Maxwell is reported 
 by the 1 elegraph as follows : "He argued that should the Fast 
 Ime become an accomplished fact and should the Harvey Salis- 
 bury line be built then the unwelcome sound would be heard 
 from north west and south at Harvey,' Harvey Junction change 
 cars for St. John. " When he uttered these words Mr. Maxwell had 
 mmmd what had occurred at Moncton when Sir Charles Tupper 
 was Minister of Railways. Through trains were run from 
 Halifax to River du Loup and the cry was heard daily, "Moncton 
 charge cars for St. John." Under Conservative rule St. John was 
 side tracked, but in June, 1896 the! upper influence, which had 
 •dommated all other influences at Ottawa, where Maritime 
 Province mterests were concerned ended forever, and with 
 the passing of Sir Charles Tupper from the political arena St 
 John commenced to grow in population, in commerce and in 
 influence. 
 
 The Atlantic Mail Contract. 
 
 _ The New Brunswick representative in theLaurier administra- 
 tion whicn succeeded to power was the late Hon. A. G Blair 
 whose name was a household word in the province, whose pro- 
 vincial affairs he had successfully guided for thirteen years. Mr 
 Blair was a diflFerent class of man from Mr. Foster. He was 
 keenly alive to the material interests of the province, a genuinely 
 progressive citizen and a man of brilliant attainments and 
 thoroughly in earnest in the work he had undertaken as Minister 
 ^f Railways. His influence in the government of Sir Wilfrid 
 l^urier was unquestioned, and one of the conditions he made 
 
26 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 in accepting the portfolio Sir Wilfrid placed in his hands waa 
 that the Intercolonial railway should not only be re-organized but 
 re-equipped to meet modem requirements. About the first im- 
 portant question affecting the interests of St. John was the Atlan- 
 tic mail contract. Hon. Mr. Foster had made the statement pub- 
 licly that the policy of the Conservative government was to give 
 the mail subsidy only to steamship lines using Canadian porta 
 exclusively, and it was also given out that an Order-in-Council 
 had been passed to this effect. It is not quite clear that thia 
 latter statement was made by Mr. Foster personally but when 
 the matter came up for consideration by the new government 
 they were unable to find any such order, but were informed that 
 the Conservative government had given the stean^ship lines 
 private assurances that there was no immediate intention of 
 changing the existing state of affairs. In other words had there 
 been no change of government the subsidized mail steamers 
 would have continued to touch at Halifax and go on to Portland,. 
 Maine to discharge and load cargo as they had been doing. The 
 situation which confronted the government was a difficult one. 
 The mails had to be handled and the time to make arrangements 
 was short. The Fast line project was still in the air. Opinion in 
 the country was divided as to what should be done. In any event 
 it was impossible to complete arrangements for the Fast line ser- 
 vice for many months. While the policy ol the Laurier govern- 
 ment was to pay Canadian subsidies only to steamships using 
 Canadian ports it was manifestly impossible under existing cir- 
 cumstances to carry out this policy, so far as the mail contract 
 was concerned, and the only course open to the government was 
 adopted, and the contract which was in the hands of the Allan 
 and Dominion steamship companies was extended, with the 
 understanding that at the close of the term agreed upon the 
 subsidy would apply only to Canadian ports. 
 
 Canadian Subsidies for Canadian Ports Only. 
 
 When the time expired the two companies having the con- 
 tract did not tender for the service and arrangements were made 
 with the Beaver line to carry the Canadian mails for a year. It 
 was evident from the attitude taken by the steamship companies 
 that they were of opinion that the govemmen : would be com- 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 27 
 
 pelied to accept their teims and extend the contract again. The 
 action of the government was a distinct notice to these com- 
 paniet tnat it was the intention of the government to adhere 
 strictly to the policy of subsidixing only the lines using Canadian 
 ports all the year around. This was a gieat relief to the people 
 of St. John who htd then expended upwards of another quarter 
 of a million to provide terminals for the over sea traffic of Can- 
 ada. In 1898 when the contract with the Beaver line expired the 
 government awarded the mail contract to the Allan and Domin- 
 ion Imes but Portland, Maine had ceased to be the final port of call 
 for the Canadian subsidized mail service and the two steamship 
 lines sent their steamers to St. John during the season of 1898.9 
 but dechned to renew the contract the following year and did 
 not tender again until 1902 when the Allan and Elder Dempster 
 lines performed the service jointl>, the latter company doing the 
 work exclusively during the preceding two years and also during 
 the season of 1902-3. The following year 1903-4 and since then 
 the ocean mail service has been performed by the Allan and C. 
 P. R. lines. In the meantime great improvements have been 
 made in the Candian Atlantic mail service. New, larger and 
 faster steamers have been provided, and although the steamers 
 do not make as many knots per hour as the latest greyhounds 
 sailing out of New York, they are speedy boats and ♦he shorter 
 distance between Canadian and British ports, as compared witli 
 the distance the New York liners have to make, permit the 
 passengers using the Canadian route to cross the ocean in about 
 the same time. The persistency with which the Liberal govern- 
 ment has adhered to the policy of granting subsidies only to the 
 steamship companies which used Canadian ports alone has 
 certainly been responsible for a large share of the success which 
 has followed the adoption of St. John as Canada's winter port. 
 Had Sir Wilfrid Laurier and his government yielded to the de- 
 mands of the steamship companies there would have been a 
 different tale to tell and St. John would not have been able to 
 show so large a share of the Canadian winter trade as she can 
 now boast. 
 
 Growth of the Winter Trade. 
 The development of winter trade through St. John was rapid 
 
S8 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 and every year with one exception ha<t shown an increase over 
 its predecessor.^ In 1895.6 we had but two lines of steamers 
 operating out of St. John, the Beaver line and the Donaldson 
 line ; the first mentioned to Liverpool and the second to Glasgow. 
 For some years previous, the Fumess line had been making 
 regular sailings between St. Jqhn and London, and in 1895 made 
 an arrangfement with the Canadian F^acific to carry any export 
 freight for that port, which the railroad could procure, so that 
 St. John practically had three lines for the first season. The 
 second season witnessed the introduction of a third service, to 
 Dublin and Belfast, the Head line furnishinj? the boats. All of 
 these were subsidized by the Liberal government and have beer, 
 steadily maintained. During succeeding years regular com- 
 munication has been provided with Manchester, by the Man- 
 chester line and with Bristol by steamers owned by the Canadian 
 Pacific railroad company which company afterwards added a 
 line to Antwerp, So many steamers severely taxed the facilities 
 ^f the port and demonstrated the necessity for more wharves./ 
 
 
 First Help from Ottawa. 
 
 While the City of St. John was i ±ing the work of preparing 
 for the increased trade which it ./as evident would follow 
 the success of the first winter port season, an appeal was 
 made to the government of Canada for assisUnce in the dredg- 
 ing for the proposed new wharves. Dredging is the most ex- 
 pensive part in connection with the terminal making at St. John. 
 At the time the request was made the government of Canada had 
 no dredge capable of working in the tidal waters of the harbor 
 except the Cape Breton which was at Shediac and was loaned 
 to St. John. This was entirely contrary to the precedent es- 
 tablished by the Conservative government, which in 1881 had 
 refused positively to do any dredging at St. John, on the ground 
 that it was a private harbor and not under the control of the 
 federal government. St. John is one of the few harbors in the 
 Dominion so constituted. When the charter of the city was 
 granted in 1785 the rights and privileges and the revenues arising 
 from the harbor were vested in the corporation of the City of 
 St. John, which was given powers to "taake laws governing the 
 harbor and its use, subject to the revision of the Executive gov- 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 29 
 •rnment of the province. In 1881 it was discov.r^rf fi,«» .i. 
 
 rc»f«i„?r^^ brouKM down wch ^ring by th.fr«h.t.. At 
 « cooference bctwem Sir Leorord Tilley uod m-inbtr. of th. 
 
 ably before the th«, Fin.nce Mioi.ter ..d he w turn prt^i^ 
 to.„bm,t t!,.m..,.„ohi,cone.g„«,.t Ottawa. HH-dTwH^ 
 the rMult already -told. All that wa, done wa. to dreL ,h. 
 ta. off, he Navy Island bar to p„n,it the ferrvtHttrl 
 
 «^n dredge later and it has done .uch.o.k !n iLtvling 
 
 $40iOoe Saved to the Ratepayers. 
 
 Hon Mr. Tarte, then Minister of Public Works was deeply in- 
 terested .n the experiment of making St. John a xvinterpot o 
 
 week, th C ' "n"''' *'' Conservative precedent and f^f mlnj 
 weeks the Cape Breton worked side by side with the American 
 dredges wh.ch had been engaged by the city. No est rn^te has 
 ever been made public of the value of the dredging pXmed 
 by the Cape Breton but the city paid the owners of tfe AmeZn 
 dredges at the rate of f 500 a day for day and night work and S" 
 savmg to the city from the work performed b/the CaJ; Breton 
 was very large mdeed, and must have amounted to fulir$25 m 
 Th,s does not mclude the work which was done later ^hen 
 the dredges operatmg on the river during the summer months 
 were put to work at the expense of the federal government 
 durmg the wmter^ason. It is not an over estimate 7oZ 
 that the action of the Liberal government at Ottawa saved 
 the taxpay^ f-.r dredging alone the large sum of |40,000 
 The west side improvements had added |260,000 to the bonded 
 debt of St. John at the end of 1896. Between 1896 and 1898 
 the city had expended in cash |368,000 more. The direct 
 saving to the taxpayers through the government's action 
 was therefore m the neighbourhood of $2,000 annually. Verv 
 httle has lien said in the public press regarding this most im^ 
 portant work done by tl government at the very inception of 
 the effort to make St. John the Winter Port of Canada 
 
 tWUAffi '«!!,»' 
 
 ■ Hjn^irr'rr vi 'm\ - \ 
 
*> CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 The New Intercolonial Terminal 
 
 Whilt the city wm energetically puthing the Weit Hide im- 
 provements, Hon. A. G. Blairatminiiterof railvrayi was making 
 arrangamenti for the inaprovetnent of the Intercolonial service. 
 Thefirst step in this direction was the extension of the railway 
 to Montreal. Although millions had been expended on the 
 Intercolonial it stilt had its western terminus in a field near 
 Quebec. Mr. Blair realized very soon after he became Minister 
 of ral!^vavs that this in=ongruws condition of affairs had to be 
 changed, if the Intercolonial was to take the place among the 
 railways of Canada its mileage'in the 'maritime provinces en- 
 titled It to. By the purchase of the Drummond county railway 
 and the lease of running rights and terminal facilities at Montreal 
 from the Grand Trunk an entrance into the commercial metro- 
 polls of Canada was obtained for the Intercolonial railway, and 
 at the same t.me better terminal facilities were provided at St 
 John and Halifax. 
 
 At St. John what was known for many 'years as the Long 
 Wharf at the northern end of the hirbor was acquired and the 
 wharf replaced by a modern structure. with adequate warehouse 
 accommodation. This wharf and the grain elevator which was 
 built on the site of the Harris car works, which the Conserva- 
 tive party had been instrumental in removing from St. John to 
 Amherst, cost upwards of half a million of dollars and has been 
 of the greatest value in developing the winter trade of St. John 
 The wharf has accommodation for two steamships of the largest 
 size, and since its completion has been continuously occupied 
 during the greater ptrt of the year. 
 
 Intercolonial Export Trade. 
 
 All remember the ridicule that was heaped on Mr. Blair for 
 expressing the hope that the Intercolonial would become an im- 
 portant factor in the development of export trade through St 
 John. The elevator was crrtized in th; harshest language as a 
 waste of public money and the people were told by Conservative 
 newspaper writers thnt it wjuld never be U5.J. Yet durin^ the 
 winter season of 1907-8 over 1,000,000 bushels of grain were 
 loaded on stea-n^hips at this port, whi.h grain was hauled over 
 
 ,1 
 
CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 ,1 
 
 "•" '"t.rcoloni.1 pier. During th, «ini^^^\'±*l l^ 
 
 during ,h. wn.., ««on of IM^r Th. Jl!"": """""' 
 flight I«ndl«i in ,h. Int«c.loni.l ..^ •, ,^^' °' "^^ °' 
 «nd in 1907.8. «S,04«, Th,ie li<ru™.T^,l^ • ■ / *" "•'^ 
 
 brought to and taken from St John b» .h. ll!^ . • . "'*'" 
 th. winter s«.„n. Th. to^Uo^^K^jLT^^J:t''''^-'f 
 cars was 331.861 tons. Whil. ..nrf-f /? «"«'>« handled in tho. 
 pound of freight w^ ^, to S, J^^"""' I' f "'"' "<" » 
 forexport. Thi.winter Mg^ :new:«d.Zs.* ??"°""*' 
 her. over th. gov,mn,«,t raiLy „„^r "SrlTrul. 't' ^.''?' 
 freight was carri«J away hv steainshTn u^l ?. ""* °' ""' 
 PortUnd, Maine .heir wL'^JlZnt^dTl^thc^ri. 7f 
 a. the d.r«rt r«ult of th. Ub.,al pohcv to pavsS,^ on ^° 
 steamers us.ng Canadian ports .xclu,'iv.lv Th- L ^, ''^ *" 
 th. freight over th. Intwcobnial ™i way h„'s I^rt^f"' "' 
 sum of n,on.y among the worlcing rlen of St jthn " ' ""' 
 
 Further Wharf Extension. 
 
 of South Rodn.y wharf. wh.:r.:rarxSi„°^;'? '"• 
 
 completed it was found that the citv h»H . ^^ . ''"* 
 
 000 in actual cash, and tV'aC™^ "^nt ^W ♦'"""■ 
 «Ju.vaI.nttoan «,penditu,. of another iTwZi T« hT 
 were large,, and while there was a cry thaHL . . "' 
 goneasfarasitsm^ins would justify jtw J "nl! T ''"' 
 constantly increasing trade de'n..,^';.^ .rcTrntu ion !^ 
 onginal plan. While th. ald.m.«, wen. iZ.^ ■ °' "" 
 
 ac.i»it was made clear that„rnirw"a.rt;:;^:.rg~:t' 
 
 r^JSin;r^to''L?itLt"rM':^£-^^^^^^^ 
 
 «a the Eastern side ofth. hlrhlTwls Lrch^^"" /"•*"' 
 -harf built, and it t«, was continuouslv^piS " " ""' 
 
 {f'A.n, Bwpw 
 
 ■:W'^'M ■i"*T'>?^'^'«- 
 
32 
 
 CANADA'S WINTER PORT. 
 
 Two Successful Appeals to Ottawa. 
 
 In 1905 it was decided by the Council that additional wharf 
 accommodataon must be provided or some of the steamship 1^^ 
 would be compelled to seek accomodation elsewhere In h^ 
 dUemna at was decided to appeal to Ottawa for assistance A 
 delegation went to the Capital and laid the matter before Hon 
 Mr Emmerson and the government. The civic delegation askTd' 
 that the government undertake the dredging of the sites the 
 delegation undertaking that the city wouM Lild the wharves 
 This proposition was heartily acceded to and in a short time' 
 
 ^LTTl '^''^^ "" ''' ^"^ *h^ construction of the 
 wharf which was completed for use during the season of 1907-8 
 
 Decedent * of tl* ^""^ ^""^ "^" fiTovemment cast aside the 
 £^w. n . t ^,°°^"^a«^«^ party that St John harbor 
 
 ^^^!Trl "^"^^ ""^ "°* ""*^"^*» '<> ^^t*«« from 
 Itl T ,^ f Government. In making the grant for dredging: 
 C^n^t J^ recognized St. John as the Winter Port of 
 Canada^ How important this grant was to the taxpayers is 
 
 ^^IZ'^'^JT'^'V'^' '""^ ^^ ^<» warehouL^ 
 
 ^XirteZ:^ '^^'"^ ^'"^ ''' ^°-™-- ^^^ 
 
 fh?^\^^f "^^^ '"'* '"°"«^' ^"°*^^^ h^^ to be built. Agair. 
 the Liberal government was appealed to and agreed to pay for 
 dredgmg the site on the second wharf. In all. the Federal gov! 
 
 Rework HaTtv'' ♦^''''.'^^ '"'^'"^ «'-« undertaking 
 the work. Had this work not been undertaken by the govern^ 
 
 sTend tht '^'"'" °^ ?• ^°'" "°"^^ ^-^^ been compelled to 
 spend the money or see the trade they had already made such 
 
 sacrifices to obtain go else «vhere. 
 What Hon. Mr. P«f sley Has Done. 
 
 When Hon. Mr. Pueslej wu unanimonalt elected to r»nr-.-«4. c* i •. 
 
 
1 
 
 I 
 
Future Harbor Extension. 
 
 The General Mansger cf the Grand Trunk Pacific after 
 a careful survey of the harbcr of m. John told the people 
 that Courtenay Bay was the only place suitable for yard 
 room and docks for the w inter port of the new Transcon- 
 tinental railway. The only difficulty in the way was lack 
 of knowledge concerning the n: ti:re of the bottom under 
 the bay, 2nd to gain this knowledge borings must be 
 made. 
 
 Hon. C. W. Robinson Premier of the Province was 
 deeply interested in bringing the traffic of the Grand 
 Trunk Pacific over the Central Railway. He immedi- 
 ately communicated with Mayor Seirs offering to bear a 
 portion of the cost of the borings at Courtenay Bay. Be- 
 fore action was taken by the Common Council the Rob- 
 inson government was defeated and the matter dropped 
 out of sight until a delegation fiom the Council went to 
 Ottawa to confer with Hon. Mr. Pugsley on Harbor 
 ma^'Ts. At the conference Mr. PugMey demonstrated 
 tc n "'vie delegation the necessity of accurate informa- 
 tio .cerning the possibilities of Courcenay Bay for 
 harbor extension, and offered to join with the city and 
 Provincial Government in the cost of making the borings. 
 
 As a direct result of Mr. Pugsley's action the borings 
 have been made and it has been demonstrated that there 
 are no difficulties in dredging Courtenay Bay and that a 
 good and safe harbor can be constructed, and ample ter- 
 minal facilities provided at St. John ror Canada's second 
 Transcontinental Railway. 
 
 Had it not been for Mr. Pugsley, backed by the Liberal 
 Government, no action would have been taken, either by 
 the Conservative Government at Fredericton or by the 
 Common Council. It is certair, now that Courtenay 
 Bay can be utilized, that St. John will be the winter 
 terminal of the Grand Trunk Pacific as well as the Can- 
 adian Pacific. 
 
The circulation of $100 non^^ steamsliips. 
 men and laborers iiand ini;Z ?""""/■' ''"°"« ^'-^"-ay 
 br«ere by the s.^^ 'Z^^^r^^^ ^-"^^^ 
 
 rHe employmenc of over 3 nnn *"'"• 
 
 wise be idle during .he "47 J'" *'"' *»""' "'her- 
 ,.»b„e.. carpenters and „rrLZ^ These i„.„de 
 
 supplies Of various kind fi^heT* """ ^^^^o" '"^ 
 business also benefits the Tarmer, k T"' '^'''" ■"* 
 -".a better .arketthan'thlrr^^^.^'-^-'"^ then, 
 
 What Liberals Have Done. 
 
 JeUnr;^:??S-7,j; Ottawa aided St. John i„ 
 ing in .896-8 to the extent 0^40 ^''^'^"■'« '»■• dredg- 
 
 .be VeXn^o?tr sf.:;?riet' °r' """-o* 
 
 'he LibemladmSa ro„ tlfc'rir "'"'•^-"=<' "^ 
 Wve the city another srarelevato?',""",! ""■""'" """^rs 
 house and two additional berthrir „ ' " """^^ *"'" 
 our cost to the city. "" ""*" steamers with- 
 
 in 1908 the Liberal n^, 
 Willian, P<'^l^tZ?ZZrpZ>r4iT''<' »y Hon. 
 'he c .mpletion of the Sand Poi„? »h *'• """"fertake 
 mem voted *400cco .'"..."""wharves, and Parlia- 
 
 'he necessary fad£ /nd e'sseTc"' ^"'^ "^''^^ 
 John. *'"'' '^^sens civic taxation in St. 
 
 -?JV^iiWt 
 
'mskw- -% ,^