Spring Garden Road construction unearths old traces of tramcars
Spring Garden Road in Halifax has become a massive construction site.
According to Historian Blair Beed, something else is also taking place.
"We are getting a vast look at what the tramcar system was like," said Beed, who added trams were part of Halifax public transportation system beginning in the late 19th century until 1949.
Construction crews have unearthed long-ago paved-over rails and cobblestones that date back more than 100 years.
"Part of it is a lost era," said Beed.
At one time, dozens of tramcars clogged the downtown core.
"They had about 30 cars before the war," said Beed. "They added another 20 or 25 cars."
Over time, the old tramcars kept breaking down and were too expensive to maintain. Population growth, also added wear and tear.
"The number of people in wartime went from 9 million users to 31 million users during World War Two," said Beed.
A Halifax Regional Municipality spokesperson told CTV News, via email that the old tram rails and cobblestones "will all be safely disposed of."
Some passersby are grabbing old pieces as souvenirs.
"It brought back some memories," said business owner Kurt Bulger. "I have very vague memories of being down here with my father watching the tram cars go by. It brings back a bit of nostalgia."
Beed said the piles of rubble and rails, serve as a reminder of what the city looked like pre-1950.
He also said Halifax should bring the tramcars back.
"Wouldn't it be great if they had one line running somewhere in the city that we could get back on," said Beed, who added they would also be a tourist attraction and an acknowledgment of a long-forgotten chapter in history.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.