PAGE i6 . WINNIPEG-FREE ;PRESS,' SATURDAY. 'SEPTEMBER-17, 1953 Era Ends Another Be The Final Run Crowds of Winnipeggecs will s witness a colorful, if slightly nos- algic procession down, Portage :avenue and Main street between ;230 and 3.15 p.m. Monday. ' The final street 'cars will leave the St. James loop at Polo Park it approximately 2.30 p.m. In the >rst tram, which will be decor- ited with, a banner reading- We've Had It — We're Heading '•or The Last Roundup," "will be he RCHA band." operate over Main street pany with the transition being Actually, the general public will bridge_ so they could consolidate completed Dec J, 1952 mained. - --,, thei...r. operatiowfswi UOtUlnJ --confin (.UllfJUte their lines on both :ides of the to. Mam street and Portage av> nave their last opportunity to ride river. 1 he new transit• company was nue. There were 134 trolley buse a street car sometime- after mid- The bells on the streetcars above will ring- out the short-lived,.. The city , and sur- night Saturday The final street But it was four years, 1898, be- 191 motor buses with another 10 old and ring: in the new this week-end. They'll be riding: rounding municipalities were given diesels on .order, to replace th car making the run from Sharpe the rails for the last time at a special ceremony on Mon- fore council finally gave the per ar option, .to- expire. May 31, 1953last of the sitreet cars.- boulevard to the end of the North day, bub actually a fleet of gleaming- new 52-passeng-er mission. They were .afraid-'the to -take' over the svstem Main line early Sunday will be the bridge wasn't strong enough ,anc The option was taken up and And so it is that.-on- Monday diesel buses like the one at the right will take over when the north Winnipeg ca last one in regular service. Start- that haying trolley, wires strung on June 1, 1953 the Greater Win ing Sunday morning diesel buses reg-ular service on Sunday morning-. The tired old trams across it would, result in anyone nipeg Transit Commission was house doors close behind the las will take over . the route, • . •will fold up their trolleys early Sunday morning and walking over the structure being foimed For the first time in its street car_ the.^..jy . wil,1-iill wbce JUajusLt a noisily steal away to the darkened north Winnipeg car electrocuted. The .bridge didn't fal history, Winnipeg s mass transpor surely closing an era 73 year It will be followeJ by a sweeper yard. * and no one was killed. tation system was publicly owned long — an e:a in which Winnipe car vvlt a banner reading: "We're W H Gaiter, former president of grew from a small' .town' on. t h Making a Clean'Sweep -—This Is banks of the Red and .Assiniboin Our Last Run — Buses Take Network Grows the Winnipeg Electric company Over." •-•••. became commission chairman, river to a mighty city — grew be W. E. Bradley, GWTC, As Winnipeg grew so did the cause the stieet car was there t In the final car, old No. 793 and Cordon Sinclair street car network. By 1901 theDiesel Fleets open streets and highways, indus will be Mayors of- Greater Winni- company could proudly boast their .rial locations, suburbs and parks peg municipalities, 'GWTC officials Last Street Car» Rolls Collaborate On cars had carried 3,500,00p. paying Modernization plans were pushed and press and radio. It will bear Quieter bu^es will replace them < A 73-Year History passengers in a year. The follow- aheid Fleets of gasoline diesel )ut the clang of the. gong, the rat >anners reading: "Take-Your Last inug yeaw r th-..ve- Maiii.ii.uini streeOLICCLt. caU a rI and. trolley buses continued to S*|«|« ------,-v^-,-0~-.ru-.ru, .,,. .le of -the wheels, the swoosh -OL Look — I Won't Be Back — Mo- house was built to provide needed shove street car»-««-s« wilof.f thmec HJCllroad. Fi •eleased air the flashing of the dernization Has Forced Us To Re- many sleighs in the winter. storage space for the 42 cars in nallv oniv 85 street cats ire." operation. rolleys will be long remembered Into History Monday A. W. Austin, who owned the The cars will stop at Portage horse-drawn street car charter In 1906 a strike took place Ac nd Main for a brief ceremony - A whip cracked in the crisp morning air, a creaking horse car jolted down Main soon -saw that his system was to cording to one transit .old timer GWTC Has 410 Buses, vhen civic officials will lift out street from Fort Garry to the city hall and Winnipeg's first transit service was born quickly become obsolete when he George Calcott, now retired: "It Covers 150 Route Miles a section of track to cut for ever learned that Edison had developed didn't last as long as the 1919 With the departure of : street tie street car line. ' ' ' Oct. 21,1882. strike, but it was .wild and bitter an electric tram which, moved cars, • the- GWTC is left with '410 Following the ceremony the cars along without visible horsepower. while it lasted. Two street care vehicles 296 motor buses: and 134 Next Monday, 73 years less one month later, the last: street car will vanish from were burned in spite of police pro 1 -ill proceed to the north Winnipeg He urged city council to allow trolley buses The motonbus fleet ar field. Those who travel on the the city's street, sacrificed to the same progress that saw horse cars replaced by elec- tection and the inside of others will consist of 161 diesels and 115 him to electrify his system but for were wrecked.*' ast car will bo returned to the tric trams and they in turn lose their predominance to gasoline buses, then trolley some time aldermen balked at-the gasoline units ,- - rahoit'commission'stiffice at Fort idea of having wires, loaded with The golden era of street cars They will operate over a dis- treet" and Assiniboine avenue by buses and now diesels. enough current to pull cars, hang- was fast approaching. Tram rails tance of 150 route miles (one way) shiny new diesel bus which will It is fitting' that the two last ing over their heads. were, drawing a growing city m the Greater. Winnipeg' area, ake -over the Portage 'and Main street cars and a "sweeper" that closer together. serving 12 cities and' municipal- un' Sunday morning. will rattle through Winnipeg and Trolley Venture. The T. Eaton store was opened ities having a population of 370 - to the "graveyard" Monday at drawing .crowds-of shoppers; Elm )00. During the past year 12,400,- 2.30 p.m. should follow in part the Mr. Austin persisted and finally and River parks were centres of 000 miles were operated, the equi- GWTC EMPLOYS 1,300 ' same route that their ancient pre-received permission for his trolley attraction; a race track and pro valent of •- 498 trips around the The GWTC has close to 1,300 decessor took. wire venture. But "try it," he was fessional baseball drew crowds world. mployees and pays out over $4,- told 'in the Fort Rouge bush." and the Exhibition was in its hey 00,000 in wages during the year On that sunny October day 73 At 7.30 a.m. on Jan. 28, 1891 day. Most haddock caugh" t in Canadia. n , - ..h. additionaMUUIVJUI.IUJl. $2,000,00V"iWJ«J,UU0U iisd spenOPCiltl years ago it is doubtful that even acting Mayor T. W. Taylor pushed vaters are the most optimistic of Winnipeg's In - the west-end, Deer Lodge under 10 pounds in locally for the purchase of goods the switch and the first electric weight. and services. 1.5,000 population foresaw the day car rolled proudly along River had Chad's Hotel with animal and when the city's transit system avenue, an area which at the time bird attractions; Happyland would grow to the point where it was outside the city limits. amusement park was established on Portage with a roller coaster operated over 150 miles of routes, As the car's carbon lights W. J. JONES ' serving 12 cities and municipali- flashed on they dimmed forever as a major attraction; Assiniboine .ies- in a Greater Winnipeg of 370,- the weak, nickering light of the park was opened to the 'public Superintendent of transportation 000 persons. old oil lamps and jubilant citizens and by 1910 the transit system for the GWTC who will drive the if .to'. , The motive power for the 1882 rode free for the first day. was serving a population of 170 - 000. last street car to travel over the rs was imported from Ontario— On Dominion day the same year Portage avenue and Main street GREATER WINNIPEG 22 horses sound in wind and limb the first street cars operated to who munched their hay and oats Elm Park. With a population of Common Centre route Monday between 2.30 and n a big barn at Assiniboine ave- 25,000, Winnipeg was set to cele- 3.15 p.m. On the car will be civic TRANSIT COMMISSION Outside of Winnipeg, other and GWTC officials and press and lue and Fort street, appropriate- brate the greatest picnic in its towns were appreciating street y enough in the shadows of the young history. radio representatives. The way May You Have Continued Success in the Future cars.