The completion of a rail line was cause for huge celebrations. People from all over the country came to participate in festivities that marked the completion of the Grand Trunk Railway in 1856. There were parades and fireworks for everyone in Montreal while the wealthier, invited guests were feted with a magnificent banquet and ball at the Point St. Charles machine shops. Huge crowds gathered at each station as the new train made its maiden trip, and hundreds crammed into the available seats. The Age of Railways was a highwater mark in enthusiasm and confidence for the Canadian colony.
