104 REPOET OF THE No. 3 



Appendix No. 39. 

 Report on the Construction of Roads in Northern Ontario. 

 (Under the Provisions of 2 Geo. V., chap. 3.) 

 To the Honourable^ The Premier. 



SiR^ — I have the honour to submit a General Report of the work done in 

 the construction of roads in Northern and North-'western Ontario during the 

 season of 1914, in conformity with the provisions of 2 George V, Chapter 2. 



The season's work commenced about the 1st May, except in a few instances 

 where it was found profitable during the winter season to crush and haul rock 

 material and gravel, construct bridges, and take out timber. 



The season was the most favourable we have had for road construction since 

 it began in 1912; during the months of July, August and September, the weather 

 was dry, and good progress was made on the work. 



The operations extended from the Petawawa Military Camp on the Canadian 

 Pacific Railway on the east, to the Lake of the Woods on the west; along the 

 line of the Canadian Northern Railway north of Sudbury; along the Temiskaming 

 and Northern Ontario Railway and its branches, from Haileybury north to the 

 Transcontinental Railway; along the latter railway between the Abitibi River on 

 the east and the town of Hearst on the west; along the Soo branch of the 

 Canadian Pacific Railway from Echo Bay to Blind River; and south along 

 the Grand Trunk Railway from Callander to near Powassan; in the valley of 

 the Rainy River; and also in the mining districts around Porcupine, Kirkland 

 Lake, Larder Lake and the Montreal River. 



Labour was more plentiful than in previous years, and there was no difficulty 

 in securing all the men required from among the settlers and residents in the 

 districts. Little or no foreign labour was employed, except in the construction 

 of ditches and taking out rock cuts. During the months of June and July, from 

 4,500 to 5,000 men were engaged on the work. The work was rushed during the 

 early part of the season, owing to the very favourable weather, and in order to 

 allow the roads to dry out /before the rainy season began. The work, however, 

 continued during the entire season. At present there are about 225 men engaged 

 in the construction of roads and bridges where it is found at all profitable to 

 carry on work. 



During the season up to the 31st October, the sum of $802,578.19 was ex- 

 pended on roads and on experimental farm plots in different places along the 

 Transcontinental Railway. 708 miles of road was under construction, of which 

 255 miles is new road cut out of the forest. 296 miles of road was graded; 108 

 miles was surfaced with gravel or crushed rock; 214 miles was partly graded or 

 improved by cutting down hills, ditching, and in other ways improving the 

 grades; 40 bridges were constructed, the longest at Matheson across the Black 

 River, having a length of 650 feet, and a steel bridge at Kakabeka Falls, west 

 of Fort William, 300 feet. 



In addition to the construction of roads and bridges, three experimental 

 farm plots were started along the Transcontinental Railway; one near the town 

 of Cochrane, one 50 miles west at the Groundhog River, and one at the town 



