There were practically no repair shop facilities on the National Lines in Ontario. A very serious situation in regard to the condition of equipment having developed, work was commenced early in 1918, at Leaside, a suburb of Toronto, upon a moderately-sized plant for the repair of locomotives and cars, which began operation in 1919. This plant is not of great capacity but the necessary land is owned by the Railways, and the design of the plant will permit of large extension. As the principal repair shops of the Grand Trunk Railway are located at Montreal, Que., Stratford and London, Ont., that Road having no important repair facilities at Toronto, it is likely that under co-ordination it will be found advisable to enlarge the plant at Leaside, to take care of some of the Grand Trunk work. It is highly desirable that a freight car shop be provided at Leaside at an early date. It is unlikely that any large extensions will be required in the plants at Moncton, Transcona, and Fort Rouge, in the near future, but there is immediate need of a medium-sized plant at Edmonton, as there are now no adequate facilities for repairs between Winnipeg and the Pacific Coast, and only a freight car shop of moderate size at Port Mann, B.C. As the distance from Winnipeg to Vancouver is 1,565 miles, and from Winnipeg to Prince Rupert 1,758 miles, and as most of the equipment has to be hauled to Winnipeg for general repairs and then hauled back to the point at which it is to be used, a large saving can be effected. Highly suitable property at North Edmonton is owned by the Grand Trunk Pacific, and plans for a plant there are in preparation. ROLLING STOCK:--The rolling stock owned was wholly insufficient. Very little new equipment had been provided since 1913, and traffic had grown enormously. It was impossible properly to maintain the equipment during the war, on account of the shortage and inefficiency of labor, difficulty of securing materials, and lack of shop facilities in Ontario and Quebec. The situation was aggravated by the shortage of equipment on United States railways. Canadian-owned cars sent into the United States loaded with paper, pulp, pulp-wood, lumber and other commodities, were generally retained by the American roads.