Odds & Ends / The Westville Tram Cars / That was then - This is Now / "Contraptions" 1911 / The History of Westville's Water System / Westville Streets in 1899 / Photo Feature: Streets Then & Later / People / Thank You
A tram outside Westville House, Main Street
The Westville Tram Cars
The electric tram cars which linked Westville with the towns of Stellarton, New Glasgow and Trenton began on October 10, 1904, initiated by Leonard Tilley Flaherty, serving until his death. Before this, travel to the other towns was by horse and buggy, sleigh in winter, or on foot. The tram cars brought a modern and convenient mode of transportation for the citizens. The system was particularly useful for the workmen who were employed at early morning jobs in other towns. The first cars left Westville at 5:30 a.m. to take workmen to the steel and car plants in Trenton.
Getting service to Westville was not easy. Early applications for a tram service was denied until civic authorities in Westville and Stellarton approved an application for a tram line charter form the Egerton Tram Company Limited, incorporated under statutes of Nova Scotia on March 27, 1902. One of the initial directors was Charles Fergie, general manager of the Intercolonial Coal Mining Company, Westville. Fergie had made an earlier application which had been denied.
The service officially opened by political, business and industrial representatives on October 15, 1904. Civic guests were Mayor John W. Murray and councilors of Westville; business interests: C.J. Coll, general manager of The Acadia Coal Company; and press representative J.W.H. Sutherland of Westville’s Free Lance newspaper. The ceremony included inspiring music from the Westville Band and a tram ride to Trenton and back.
The next day the three tram cars throughout the county carried 4,000 paying passengers as people thronged to try out the new service.
One early problem of the service was that it ran on Sunday, sparking many to protest, most notably the newspaper publisher, J.W.H. Sutherland.
The service quickly became a way of life for the residents. As the cars made their way up from Bear Brook to McQuarrie’s Corner, and then north down Main Street, they made many stops along the route. There were no paved streets at the time and the rails had been laid on wooden ties. Spur tracks were also laid. These were crossing points which allowed the cars to leave the main track. One of these led to the Drummond Colliery ash dump where the tram company obtained ashes for track ballast.
In winter only tram lines were plowed and often horses and sleighs traveled by way of the tracks. At times when the tram was coming, the horse had to wallow, through the snow drifts to escape the moving tram. If the tram came from behind, the horse would gallop ahead to the first turn out. Inside the cars the passengers were protected from the harsh elements. The seats of the cars were along the sides, facing each other, and the passengers passed the time with stories and conversation as they made their way to their destination. The cars had 32 seats and overhead were rails from which holding straps hung. At peak periods 100 passengers jammed onboard. They were kept warm by electric heaters under the seats.
The
photographer, standing on the balcony of the Westville
House, captured
this excellent photo of the Westville YMCA building (left,
foreground), and a passing tram
car. Adjacent to the YMCA was the Dave MacPherson
building. The Acadia Mine is in the
background; the streets are not paved and full of mud, and
the sidewalks are boardwalks. The
tram cars were phased out in 1931 and replaced with busses.
The service offered five enclosed tram cars initially as well as flat and freight cars and a snow plough. They began running at 5:30 a.m. and made hourly trips until 11:30 p.m.
It took the trams 15 minutes to travel from town to town but the Westville run took a bit longer. The fare was five cents to each town.
Weekend service was quite popular. Residents of Westville and the other towns, including the smaller communities, boarded the trams for downtown New Glasgow, where they would spend time and money in leisure and entertainment.
A major interruption occurred during a series of snowstorms in 1905. The combination of storms and thaws closed the nine miles of county track for four weeks. Such long delays would never again take place, the most being a few hours at a time.
Tram service peaked in 1916 with 18,708 passengers and $890.40 collected in fares. Gradually the use of the service began to lesson due to increased competition from the railway and the motor car. The service was phased out in 1931 and replaced by bus service in 1932. The tram cars had provided a much needed service, but a new age was upon us.
A tram
passing Victoria School
Maude Sutherland
Maude E. Sutherland,
daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Murdock Sutherland, resided with
her parents on Cowan Street. She was a member of “The Arts
and Letters Club”.
In 1905 she designed the
Cleaning Lady on the “Old Dutch Cleanser” container. The
product was the most popular cleanser of its day.
In her Will she made
provisions from the income of an investment for two
bursaries to be presented annually at the Westville High
School graduation. The Bursaries awarded to the graduating
class are: Murdock Sutherland Bursary, awarded to the young
man with highest standing; and the Julia Lippincott Bursary,
awarded to the young woman with the highest standing.
