Le premier chemin de fer au Canada

Canada's first steam railway, the Champlain and St. Lawrence, was opened in 1836 to better facilitate trade with the United States. It was built by promoters led by brewer John Molson and merchant-forwarder Jason C. Pierce. This 23-kilometre line expedited the movement of passengers and freight between Montréal and New York by linking La Prairie, on the St. Lawrence River and Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu. The wooden rails were replaced with iron in 1847, and the line was extended in 1851 to Rouses Point, New York, to form part of a major international railway network.