Reeks 2002.1.3 - Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE)

The Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) was incorporated on February 27th, 1912. The PGE goal was to complete a rail line heading north from Vancouver to Prince George where it would connect with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR). PGE was privately owned until 1918 when it encountered financial difficulties and was taken over by the British Columbia Government as a Crown Corporation. By 1921 the railway had expanded to a point north of Quesnel but was still 80 miles south of the connection at Prince George. There were no large urban centers on the rail line during this time and it was primarily used for logging and mining operations from the British Columbia interior to Squamish. In 1949 PGE began to expand, and on November 1st, 1952 PGE completed a junction with Canadian National Railway in Prince George. On August 27th, 1956 PGE completed a line between Squamish and North Vancouver completing their original goal of a rail line from Vancouver to Prince George. In 1958 PGE reached Fort St. John and Dawson Creek to meet with the Alberta Railways. On September 10th, 1971 the largest construction that was undertaken opened a line between Fort St. John to Fort Nelson. In 1972 Pacific Great Eastern changed their name to British Columbia Railway (BCR).