Canadian Northern Railway

The network had its start in the independent branchlines that were being constructed in Manitoba in the 1880s and 1890s as a response to the monopoly exercised by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Many such lines were built with the sponsorship of the provincial government, which sought to subsidize local competition to the federally subsidized CPR; however, significant competition was also provided by the encroaching Northern Pacific Railway (NPR) from the south. In 1888 NPR established a joint venture (under Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company Act) with the Government of Manitoba called Northern Pacific and Manitoba Railway Company (NP&MR) by taking over the recently created Red River Railway. NP&MR ran from US border to Winnipeg, and also westerly to Portage la Prairie, Morris, and Brandon. This venture was short lived and ended around 1899 and CNoR acquired the trackage by 1901. From the NP&MR the CNoR acquired their Winnipeg Station built in 1889 along with vacant site of the former Manitoba Hotel to become CNoR Depot until Union Station was completed.

Two branchline contractors, Sir William Mackenzie and Sir Donald Mann, took control of the bankrupt Lake Manitoba Railway and Canal Company in January 1896. The partners expanded their enterprise, in 1897, by building further north into Manitoba's Interlake district as well as east and west of Winnipeg. They also began building and buying lines south to connect with the U.S. border at Pembina, North Dakota, and east to Ontario.