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
Indian envoy warns of 'big red line,' days after charges laid in Nijjar case
India's envoy to Canada insists relations between the two countries are positive overall, despite what he describes as 'a lot of noise.'
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
With Donald Trump sitting just feet away, Stormy Daniels testified Tuesday at the former president's hush money trial about a sexual encounter the porn actor says they had in 2006 that resulted in her being paid to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
U.S. paused bomb shipment to Israel to signal concerns over Rafah invasion, official says
The U.S. paused a shipment of bombs to Israel last week over concerns that Israel was approaching a decision on launching a full-scale assault on the southern Gaza city of Rafah against the wishes of the U.S.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Northern Ont. woman makes 'eggstraordinary' find
A chicken farmer near Mattawa made an 'eggstraordinary' find Friday morning when she discovered one of her hens laid an egg close to three times the size of an average large chicken egg.
Susan Buckner, who played spirited cheerleader Patty Simcox in 'Grease,' dead at 72
Susan Buckner, best known for playing peppy Rydell High School cheerleader Patty Simcox in the 1978 classic movie musical 'Grease,' has died. She was 72.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Alcohol believed to be a factor in boating incident after 2 men die: N.S. RCMP
Two Nova Scotia men are dead after a boat they were travelling in sank in the Annapolis River in Granville Centre, N.S., on Monday.