52°56′ N • 66°55′ W
For the first 38 years of its existence, Labrador West could only be reached by a single railway. Step through the timeline to see how the community's connection to the outside world was built.
Infrastructure Timeline
1950–1954 — Railway
Construction of the Quebec North Shore & Labrador Railway began in 1951 after the contract was awarded in September 1950. Running 578 km from the port of Sept-Îles northward through the wilderness, the line reached Schefferville on July 15, 1954—when the first ore train departed south. It was one of the most demanding railway construction projects in Canadian history.
~1960 — Railway Branch
When IOC and Wabush Mines opened operations in the early 1960s, QNS&L built a 58 km branch west from Emeril Junction on the main line to Carol Lake, near the new communities of Labrador City and Wabush. This branch—and its passenger service, the “White Train”—would be the only reliable way in or out of Labrador West for the next three decades.
1992 — First Road
The original Trans-Labrador Highway connecting Lab City to Happy Valley-Goose Bay was completed in 1992—38 years after the railway. It was unpaved gravel for its entire length. Quebec’s Route 389 (Baie-Comeau to the Labrador border) had been extended in stages since the mid-20th century to serve hydroelectric projects, but remained partially unpaved for decades.
2015–2022 — Paved Highway
Paving of Route 500 began in 2009 and was completed on June 30, 2015—55 years after the railway branch arrived. The full Trans-Labrador Highway system, including all remaining sections to Happy Valley-Goose Bay and Cartwright Junction, was not fully paved until July 2022. Nearly $1 billion was invested in the highway since 1997.
Sources