1. Building the Canadian Pacific Railway
The National Dream
Building the Canadian Pacific Railway

2. Background
Railways were the steel that bound this country together and made modern Canada possible.
National Dream…joining the country together from “Sea to shining sea.”
Student Questions
Where was the majority of ‘track’ already laid in Canada? – Atlantic Provinces, Quebec and Ontario
What do you remember about the National Dream? Who was not in favour of it? – Atlantic Provinces, Why? – they had strong ties to the south.

3. Important People John A Macdonald Prime Minister
Had a dream of creating a nation that would rival the U.S.
Worried the U.S. would assimilate Canada
Student Questions
What else was John A. Macdonald famous for?

4. Important People con’t
William Van Horne
General manager of the CPR
He picked Vancouver as the western end of the line
In one year, the CPR laid 500 miles of track

5. Important People con’t
Sir Hugh Allan
Created the Canadian Pacific Railway company in 1871
Gave $ to Macdonald’s election campaign (over $300,000)

6. Sir Allan’s house Student Questions
List all the features of Sir Hugh Allan’s house on this slide and the next one.

7. Sir Allan’s house

8. Important People con’t
Sanford Fleming
Chief surveyor for the CPR
Invented time zones
Movie clip is from Historica Minutes

9. Roger’s Pass and Mount Carroll
Student Observations
What obstacles would the builders encounter in this stretch of the CPR?
Roger’s Pass and Mount Carroll

10. Important People con`t
Alexander Mackenzie
Prime Minister after Macdonald
Disagreed with the building of the railway
Student Questions
If Mackenzie disagreed with the building of the railway, what could he do?

11. Mountain Creek bridge, on the C.P.R., BC, 1889
Student Questions
How would this bridge have been built?
What was it made of?

12. Chinese work gang on the C.P.R., Glacier Park, BC, 1889

13. Pacific Scandal
Prime Minister Macdonald accepted a donation of $300,000 from Hugh Allan (to help run for re-election) in exchange for giving a guaranteed railway contract.
Macdonald is re-elected an Allan gets a contract to build the railroad to BC
Your assignment: Does Macdonald seem apologetic (sorry)? Explain. When this becomes public, Macdonald has to resign. ….Who becomes Prime Minister?
Video is at

14. What the CPR got? In return for building the railway:
the CPR would ‘own’ it.
The government gave the company 10 million hectares of land
The company sold off the land to settlers
Student Question
Who got the better deal? The CPR for building or Canada for getting the railway? Why? - Make sure you explain your answer

15. National Policy
Macdonald developed the National Policy for the election platform of 1878.
He believed that it was a formula for nation building
The policy remained part of Canadian government policy will into the 1900’s.
Dealt with three main issues

16. National Policy 1 A system of protective tariffs
During the 1870’s the Canadian economy was damaged by the U.S.
American companies could produce goods more cheaply that Canadian companies & they dumped their goods on Cdn markets.
Macdonald created a series of tariffs that would protect Canadian manufacturing, mining and agriculture from the U.S.

17. National Policy 2 Western Settlement
Eastern politicians viewed the west as a vast potential market
Wanted to encourage settlement by farmers
Gov’t discouraged development of manufacturing in the west so that Western farmers could become a captive market for goods

18. National Policy 3 The CPR
This was the cornerstone of the National Policy
The West could not develop without a way to transport goods in and out of the region
Harvesting Wheat.
Wheat cars in a train yard.

19. Chinese & Working Conditions
Working conditions were harsh and dangerous
Avalanches
Tunnels collapsed
Men fell from unfinished bridges and trestles
Nitro
Nitro historica minute available at

20. Chinese & Living Conditions
Living in overcrowded tents
Filthy bunk houses
No medical facilities
Exposed to harsh weather conditions
Illness and disease (scurvy epidemic in Port Moody killed 200 Chinese)
600 Chinese workers perished on the Fraser Canyon section of the CPR
Chinese Immigration to Canada Video is on CBC archives pages. The clip is downloadable
Student Questions
Chinese Immigration to Canada
How many Chinese were brought to Canada in the 1880’s? ___________________
Compared to a Caucasian, how much did a Chinese worker get paid? _____________________
How many Chinese workers died? ______ in 10.
What were some of the causes of their deaths?
____________________
When was the railway completed? ___________________
How did the government of Canada dissuade Chinese Immigration? ____________________
What did this cost? _____________
In 1923, Canadian Government passed this law _____________________________
For the 4!
In the Comox Valley, where were Chinese Labourers employed and how were they treated?

21. Route through the Rockies
Student questions
Was this the original route

22. Fraser Canyon, BC
Modern CPR rail lines

23. CPR tunnel in Fraser Canyon

24. Kicking Horse Pass
Kicking Horse pass

25. Kicking Horse Pass / Spiral Tunnels
Spiral tunnels / Kicking horse pass / ‘big hill’

26. The Last Spike November 1885 – Eagle Pass, BC (Craigellachie)
The CPR built the railway in 5 years (not 10 as was promised)
BC was now linked to the rest of Canada
Railway made it easier for people to settle the West
Movement between east-west was faster (encouraged trade within the country)
Top photo courtesy of
Bottom photo – me.