The railway tracks, circa 1896
![Three men on the railway tracks beside the North River, in the countryside near Val-David village. One man is standing next to the tracks, while the other two are operating a handcar, a rail vehicle used to inspect the tracks.](https://www.communitystories.ca/v2/val-david-escalade_rock-climbing/wp-content/uploads/sites/115/2019/08/val-david-avant-1898.png)
Source:
From Art Work on Montreal, Published in Twelve Parts, Part 3. Chicago. William H. Carre. 1898.
This work is available digitally on the BAnQ website.
These tracks are just north of Val-David. Logs can be seen floating down the North River towards Joseph Bélisle’s mill. This is one of the earliest photos of the region.