The Pickerel River flows west across a heavily glaciated part of Ontario before joining with the east-west French River. The latter river, says Wikipedia, “is considered the dividing line between Northern and Southern Ontario.” In fact, the vast majority of Ontario’s land is north of the river while the vast majority of its population is south of the river. Canadian National’s main line west of Toronto crosses the Pickerel River on a bridge built for predecessor Canadian Northern in 1906.

Click image to download a 742-KB PDF of this menu.

“Some of the finest fishing in the province is to be found in the Lake Nipissing district, watered by the French and Pickerel Rivers,” says the back of this menu. The 1952 menu adds that nearby “Algonquin Park, with its more than 1,200 lakes and rivers, is famous for camping and fishing.” In 1985, most of the French and parts of the Pickerel rivers were added to French River Provincial Park.

This menu has a la carte service on the left and “combination meals,” a simplified table d’hôte service, on the right. The entrées in the main combination meals included unspecified fish, cold ham and tongue, or grilled chops. They came with potatoes, beans or peas, bread or rolls, a choice of three desserts, and coffee, tea, or milk. Lower-priced meals included a cheese omelet, corned beef hash, or salmon salad with fruit or juice, bread or rolls, and coffee, tea, or milk. This menu was used in the buffet car, probably for both lunch and dinner. Multiply prices by eight to get today’s U.S. dollars.

The menu is marked “17-11-52 51-52,” which I interpret to mean it was printed on November 17, 1952 for use on trains 51 and 52. I don’t have a 1952 Canadian National Timetable, but in 1950 trains 51 and 52 went between Edmundston, New Brunswick and Montreal, while in 1956 they went between Edmundston and Moncton, New Brunswick. Both routes had buffet-sleeping cars.