VIA Rail celebrates Alexandria Station's centennial

ALEXANDRIA, ON, Sept. 22, 2017 /CNW/ - Today, Federal Member of Parliament for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Francis Drouin; Member of the Provincial Parliament of Ontario for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Grant Crack; Mayor of the Township of North Glengarry, Chris McDonell; and President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail Canada (VIA Rail), Yves Desjardins-Siciliano, marked the 100-year anniversary of the heritage Alexandria train station.  

To celebrate this major event, VIA Rail gave a gift of 10 sugar maples to residents of the Township of North Glengarry, representing the Station's 10 decades of history and the collaboration between the township and VIA Rail. The sugar maple tree is the emblem of Canada and was selected for its sturdiness and stately beauty. A commemorative plaque marking this anniversary was also unveiled at the press conference.

100 years of history
Alexandria Station opened in 1917 and welcomed its very first passengers. A century later, more than 15,000 travellers pass through this station every year, demonstrating that passenger rail transport is a smart choice for many tourists, families and business people.

"For the past 100 years, countless passengers have come to this station to take the train to visit family and friends, or travel for business. The ability to travel between urban centres like Montreal and Ottawa is crucial for rural communities like this one. This station has been an important part of this community and I am proud to be part of this celebration."
— Member of Parliament for Glengarry—Prescott—Russell, Francis Drouin

"It is an honour to celebrate the addition of this plaque, commemorating the incredible centenary anniversary of this valuable landmark of travel and economic connection: the Alexandria VIA Rail Station in the great riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell."
— MPP for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Grant Crack

"On behalf of the Township of North Glengarry I am proud to recognize the contributions that the Alexandria Train Station has made towards our community. For over 100 years trains have served as strong economic motors for our community. They have helped to grow our population and our economy. When Glengarry County was founded in 1792 it was a very different community. The population was sparse and was primarily comprised of a group of hardy Scottish emigrants who settled here during the Highland Clearances. This first wave of Scottish Highlanders lasted until 1816, when emigration began to slow. In the late 1800s development in the region was greatly spurred by the development of a railway link between Ottawa and Montreal. Alexandria, Maxville and Glen Robertson profited, as they became key railway hubs for agricultural producers in the area. Our community continued to grow and prosper, and we can thank the Alexandria Train Station for helping us along our journey."
— Mayor of the Township of North Glengarry, Chris McDonell

"We are proud to mark this centennial of this heritage station. These 100 years of history remind us that today, the train is still the smarter way to travel to ensure a sustainable economic future for Canada, just as it was a century ago when Alexandria Station was built by the Grand Trunk Railway.  VIA Rail hopes that Alexandria Station will remain a significant axis of sustainable mobility in the Township of North Glengarry. We will pursue our efforts to encourage people in the region to choose the train for their intercity travel."
— President and Chief Executive Officer of VIA Rail, Yves Desjardins-Siciliano

Multiple options between Toronto, Ottawa, Montréal and Québec City
Passengers using Alexandria Station have a choice of several trains they can take to the many communities between Toronto and Québec City that are served by VIA Rail.

• To Ottawa: passengers can opt for one of five round trips offered Monday to Friday. On weekends, four round trips between Alexandria and Ottawa are available.
• To Toronto: depending on the day of departure, one to four connections are available. A direct train from Alexandria to Toronto is always offered Monday to Friday.
• To Montréal: five round trips are offered Monday to Friday. On weekends, travellers departing from Alexandria can choose one of four round-trip trains between Alexandria and Montréal.
• To Québec City: Monday to Friday, three east-bound and four west-bound trains are available. Two round trips are offered on Saturdays; on Sundays, two trains go to Québec City while three return to Alexandria.

About VIA Rail Canada
As Canada's national rail passenger service, VIA Rail (viarail.ca) and its 2,700 employees are mandated to provide safe, efficient and economical passenger transportation service, in both official languages of our country. VIA Rail operates intercity, regional and transcontinental trains linking over 400 communities across Canada, and about 180 more communities through intermodal partnerships, and safely transports nearly four million passengers annually. The Corporation was awarded seven Safety Awards by the Railway Association of Canada over the last eight years. For more information, visit: www.viarail.ca/en/about-via-rail.

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SOURCE VIA Rail Canada Inc.