Presented by
MRC de PontiacDiscover the history of the Pontiac Pacific Junction (PPJ) through our BaladoDiscovery virtual tour. Travel the trail and check out the corresponding information on your cellphone for 12 points of interest.
Pontiac is the Outaouais' largest region, and a gateway between the province of Québec and Western Canada. Indeed, the trans-Canada railway linking Ottawa to the Pacific was expected to travel through Pontiac on the Pontiac Pacific Junction (PPJ), which was built in the 19th century.
The PPJ, later purchased by Canadian Pacific, was in operation until 1984. The end of the railway, however, was not the end of the line. The MRC Pontiac purchased the railway corridor in 1987 and repurposed it for recreational travel: cycling in summer and snowmobiling in winter.
Watch as the story of the PPJ unfolds in photos, videos, and audio recordings at the 12 stops along the 92-km path.
CREDITS
This project was made possible thanks to the support of the MRC Pontiac, the Conférence régionale des élus de l’Outaouais, the Pontiac Tourism Association and the Pontiac Historical Society.
Photos: BanQ, Pontiac Archives, Maxime Galand and Suzanne Vallières-Nollet.
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The Cyclopark PPJ: A Pontiac Train Story