Hydro-Electric Railways

Hydro-Electric Railways, a subsidiary of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario ("Ontario Hydro"), was an operator of radial railways in the Province of Ontario, Canada.

The Ontario Legislative Assembly granted the commission authority to operate electric interurban railways in the territory served by the commission in the Hydro-Electric Railway Act, 1914.[1] Changes in government policy and public sentiment in the 1920s restricted their development, and all such operations ceased in the 1930s (with the exception of the Hamilton Street Railway streetcar system, which continued until 1946).[2]

Lines

The following properties were operated by the Hydro-Electric Railways:[2]

Railway Years under Hydro Notes
Brantford and Hamilton Electric Railway 1930-1931
Guelph Radial Railway 1926-1937 owned by Hydro-Electric Railways[3]
Hamilton, Grimsby & Beamsville Electric Railway 1930-1931
Hamilton Street Railway 1930-1946
Sandwich, Windsor and Amherstburg Railway 1930-1934 Windsor area
Toronto and York Radial Railway 1921-1927
Windsor, Essex and Lake Shore Rapid Railway 1929-1932 Windsor area

With the exception of the Guelph Radial Railway, Ontario Hydro managed radial lines owned by municipalities.

Promotion of radials

In 1912, Adam Beck, founder and chairman of Ontario Hydro, began to promote the creation and operation of electric interurban railways in the territory served by the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario. The Hydro-Electric Railways were a vehicle to promote his vision for radials.

Proposal for a provincial radial network

Electric railways consumed a huge amount of electrical power, and Beck saw their development as an opportunity to sell electricity. Beck envisioned that radials would share the right-of-ways of Hydro transmission lines. A provincial radial system would bridge gaps between various separate radial systems such as those in Toronto, Hamilton and the Niagara Peninsula.[4]

Beck piloted the Hydro Electric Railway Act of 1914. This repealed the requirement that municipalities bear all costs of radial construction, but allowed Ontario Hydro to develop co-operative agreements between Hydro and municipalities for radial construction. Only projects with the potential to be self-supporting would be considered, and municipalities would bear any deficits.[4]

With the new Canadian National Railways consuming considerable taxpayer money, critics feared costs to build radials could escalate. There was also a boost in automobile and truck traffic after World War I. The 1919 provincial election brought into power the United Farmers of Ontario party which was extremely skeptical of Beck's plan. In 1921, Premier Charles Drury announced that the province would not guarantee radial bonds, thus killing the radial scheme.[4]

Proposal for a Toronto waterfront entrance

In 1922, Beck made a proposal to the City of Toronto to build a high-speed, 4- or 6-track radial entrance to the city via the waterfront. There were objections to the radials crossing the grounds of the Canadian National Exhibition and fears of a detrimental impact on waterfront economic development. In January 1923, voters rejected the radial proposal.[4]

Despite the decline of the interurban industry, Beck continued his advocacy for radials until his death in 1925 which ended Ontario Hydro's efforts to promote radials.[4]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Hydro-Electric Railway Act, 1914, S.O. 4 George V, C. 31
  2. 1 2 Due, John F. "Sir Adam Beck and the Hydro Radial Proposals". Bulletin. Upper Canada Railway Society (50). Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  3. ↑ "Guelph Radial Railway - Streetcars in the Royal City". TrainWeb. February 20, 2010. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Robert M. Stamp (1989). Riding the Radials, Toronto's Suburban Electric Streetcar Lines. The Boston Mills Press. ISBN 1-55046-008-0. Retrieved 2016-04-16. Chapter 8 - Hydro Radials, Clean-Up Deals, and Waterfront Grabs
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