Whoops! I got the date backwards on these pictures, too late to fix it now!
Not only did Montreal’s port make it an important transportation hub but it was also a vital rail junction. Both the Grand Trunk Railway, serving Quebec and Ontario, and the Canadian Pacific Railway established their headquarters in Montreal. Along with the corporate brass came their main rolling-stock manufacturing and maintenance shops.
Today the main train station has moved further down the block and passengers are serviced by Via Rail. The old CPR Windsor Station is still connected underground to the new station but is not used by trains at the moment. Heritage Canada has named the CPR station as a national historic site. Recently the CPR has expressed interest in selling the old station, although it may be tedious due to its historic stature.
Source: The McCord Musuem and I interviewed the CPR and Heritage Canada this summer while working as a researcher for CTV Montreal when the CPR announced they wanted to sell the building.
