Divisional point

In

. Stretches of railway line managed from a divisional point were known as divisions, and were further divided into segments known as subdivisions.

The logistics of steam locomotives required numerous facilities for reversing, servicing, and supplying water and fuel for passing trains. This required an on-site workforce, which in some cases led to the growth of railway towns.

Divisional points were historically significant in the westward colonization and development of Canada, supplanting the Hudson's Bay Company trading post in a number of cases as a focal point for economic activity and urbanization.

Technological changes, most significantly

, while others survived due to economic diversification.

Overview

In the

List of divisional points

In areas dominated by the railway, the choice of a town as a divisional point was typically pivotal in that town's growth. Many towns and cities across southern Canada are current or former divisional points. Examples include: Kamloops, British Columbia, Lucerne, British Columbia, Calgary, Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta,^[1] Jasper, Alberta, Melville, Saskatchewan,^[2] Winnipeg, Manitoba, Capreol, Ontario,^[3] Toronto, Ontario, Montreal, Quebec, McAdam, New Brunswick and Moncton, New Brunswick.

References