The Reid Newfoundland Company was incorporated in September 1901 and was the operator of the

Newfoundland Railway The Newfoundland Railway operated on the island of Newfoundland from 1898 to 1988. With a total track length of , it was the longest narrow-gauge railway system in North America. Early construction ] In 1880, a committee of the Newfoundland Leg ...

across the island from 1901 to 1923. For a time it was the largest landowner in the Dominion of Newfoundland, today the modern Canadian

province A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

Newfoundland and Labrador Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic Canada, Atlantic region. The province comprises t ...

. The company was founded by Sir

Robert Gillespie Reid Sir Robert Gillespie Reid (12 October 1842 – 3 June 1908) was a Scottish railway contractor most famous for building large railway bridges in Canada and the United States. Founder of Reid Newfoundland Company, from 1889 until his death ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...

, a businessman who had interests in the development of the pulp and paper industry and mining industry. The company was also the owner and operator of the coastal boat service, known as the Alphabet Fleet, the telegraph line and the electrical service in St. John's.

Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador ''Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador'' is an Encyclopedia commissioned by Joey Smallwood to capture the people, places, events and history of the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Smallwood's view on the purpose of the encyclopedia wa ...

, Volume four, page 564

Beginnings

The company had its beginnings in 1890 when the Newfoundland Government under

William Whiteway Sir William Vallance Whiteway, (April 1, 1828 – June 24, 1908) was a politician and three time Premier of Newfoundland. Life and career Born in Littlehempston, Devon, England, Whiteway emigrated to Newfoundland in 1843 and entered the ...

wanted to build a railway line from Whitbourne to

Halls Bay Halls Bay is a natural bay located near the Baie Verte Peninsula of the island of Newfoundland, in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Halls Bay has been the determining point for the northern route of the Newfoundland Railway and ...

at . Both Reid and George H. Middleton had contracted to build it but Middleton had pulled out in 1892. To ensure that the line was going to be completed to

Port aux Basques Channel-Port aux Basques is a town at the extreme southwestern tip of Newfoundland fronting on the western end of the Cabot Strait. A Marine Atlantic ferry terminal is located in the town which is the primary entry point onto the island of Newfou ...

, Reid had negotiated with the Newfoundland Government to operate the railway for 10 years. As a condition of operating the Railway, he was to be compensated with of Crown Land operated. Although forested land was much more valuable to Reid, if the area along the line was barren or boggy, he was allowed to select other land of his choosing. In 1896, the company established the St. John's Street Railway Company and given permission to build the Petty Harbour Hydro Plant to supply power to it.

, Volume five, page 317 In 1896, he negotiated another contract, the

Railway Contract of 1896 Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport that transfers passengers and goods on wheeled vehicles running on rails, which are incorporated in tracks. In contrast to road transport, where the vehicles run on a prep ...

, to build the railway from Whitbourne to

Harbour Grace Harbour Grace is a town in Conception Bay on the Avalon Peninsula in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. With roots dating back to the 16th century, it is one of the oldest towns in North America. It is located about northwest of ...

which gave him ownership of the entire railway (including the line to Harbour Grace) for 50 years and again of land for every built. The total of his land holdings was more than of forested land. The contract also allowed Reid to purchase the St. John's dry-dock from the government for $325,000.

References

External links

Newfoundland Railway - Newfoundland & Labrador Heritage

{{Authority control Defunct electric power companies of Canada Companies based in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador Defunct Newfoundland and Labrador railways Shipping companies of Canada 1901 establishments in Newfoundland Transport companies established in 1901 Pulp and paper companies of Canada

Beginnings

See also

References

External links