Charlottetown displays railway history in photo exhibit
The City of Charlottetown invites all to explore the history of the railway through historic photos displayed in the windows of the Planning and Heritage Department on Queen St.
The Railway Exhibit is just one of the planned exhibits that will be featured in the space bimonthly, throughout the year, as part of the “Picturing a City” series.
The series is an opportunity to show selections from the city’s photographic collections that consist of donated images from the public.
The City encourages those with historic images of Charlottetown to visit the Planning and Heritage Department. Heritage staff will scan submitted photos to preserve for generations to come.
The impact of the railway on the city, and indeed the whole of Prince Edward Island, is unimaginable today, noted a release from the city’s Planning and Heritage Committee.
All that remains of the industry are a few buildings, the
Confederation Trail and the memories of those of a certain age.
In 1871, when the bill responsible for the railway on Prince Edward Island was passed, there was rejoicing in the streets.
In the age before reliable roads, the railway revolutionized transportation and
touched the lives of every
Islander.
The crushing debt from its construction would lead Charlottetown to join Confederation on July 1, 1873. Sadly, a little over 100 years later, in 1989, the last train would leave the province for good.
All are welcome to view the storefront windows of 233
Queen Street and learn about the capital city’s past through photos.
The exhibit runs until the end of May and will be replaced on June 1 with a new display celebrating 200 years since the invention of the bicycle.
All exhibits will be posted online at https://charlottetownstories.wordpress.com/.