The dream of getting trains running once again on the unused CPR track between Espanola and Little Current came one step closer to reality with the formation of the AER Heritage Group.  This announcement was made today by the three founders of the group, Mike LeHoux, John Morgan and Dale Wilson.  The goal of the AER Heritage Group is to generate private, corporate and public interest in, and find suitable sponsors to establish a tourist passenger train on the CPR track, know known as the Little Current Spur. 

It is the belief of the AER Heritage Group that this train would provide enormous economic benefit to the area.  Properly developed, there is no reason why this attraction couldn’t bring in numbers as significant as the 115,000 tourists the Agawa Canyon train draws to Sault Ste. Marie annually.  The addition of a third train, to complement the present Agawa Canyon and Mattawa Timber Trains will make northeastern Ontario a rail fan Mecca.  Increased tourism is good for everyone and this line has the potential to be a better drawing card than most.  The scenery south of Espanola is every bit as wild and beautiful as the Agawa Canyon run and the opportunities to develop educational stops along the line would make this train unique.  Opportunities such as the paper mill tours with E.B. Eddy in Espanola, mining and geological exhibits in the Whitefish Falls area, First Nations history, natural history as well as the history of the line itself will make this far more than just another locomotive and a couple of cars.  A successful tourist train will certainly result in a more 

“The name AER Heritage Group was chosen to indicate that this line comes with some pretty significant history,” said co-founder John Morgan.  “Built in 1913 as the Algoma Eastern Railway a sister road to the present day Algoma Central, this railway played a crucial part in the opening up of Manitoulin Island.” 

The founders of the AER Heritage Group share not only an interest in seeing this marvelous opportunity succeeds, but also share a long time interest in the line itself.  Sudbury resident Dale Wilson is a well known railroad author and past president of Transport 2000.  Dale is the author of the only published history of the Algoma Eastern Railway.  Dale brings to the group a wealth of knowledge concerning  branch line abandonments in Canada and the shortsighted policies followed by various governments in determining transportation policy. 

Mike LeHoux is a councillor with the Town of Espanola.  Mike has spent the last five years singlehandedly developing interest in this project in the Rainbow Country area. 

Although he now lives in southern Ontario, John Morgan is a former resident of Sudbury.  During the 1970s John became acquainted with the CPR line from Espanola to Little Current, and on hearing of its candidacy for abandonment began to determine how the line could be saved and used as a tourist attraction