This page was created by Ashley Mowry.
History
As part of its construction, the contract for the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (C.P.R.) allowed it to purchase, lease or amalgamate with other rail roads. The Canada Central Railway was especially advantageous because it would give the Canadian Pacific Railway a direct connection to Montreal.[5] When the Canada Central Railway was incorporated into the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1881, the roundhouse continued to be used for storing and servicing the locomotives in service out of Carleton Place. The Carleton Place train station, also known as Carleton Junction, had a main line which ran westward to British Columbia, and another that connected the rail lines from Toronto and Montreal. The roundhouse employed as many as 200 people. It was, therefore, a serious loss to the town when the Canadian Pacific Railways decided to move its primary operations to Smith Falls.[6]
The roundhouse, however, was not left in ruin. The following year, in 1940, the building was recommissioned by the Canadian Co-Operative Wool Growers. To this day, the Co-Operative grades and markets approximately 3 million pounds of wool each year. The wool is received directly from Canadian farmer, most coming from Quebec, Ontario and Alberta, linking the roadhouse once again to the rest of Canada.[7]