1. Building the Railway

2. The National Policy In 1878, Macdonald had a chance for re-election
He ran on his “National Policy”
Keep cheap US goods out of Canada
Encourage buying Canadian
Fill the prairies with settlers
Macdonald is back as Prime Minister

3. The Canadian Pacific Railway Co.
In 1880, CPR formed by George Stephen and Donald A. Smith
William Van Horne was hired as supervisor
Van Horne worked very hard to complete the track as quickly as possible

4. Building Issues
Northern Ontario presented difficulties with hills, swamps and granite
In one area, the track sank 7 times and 3 trains were swallowed up
Dynamite and nitroglycerine were used to blast through

5. Nitro Nitroglycerine was extremely sensitive explosive
It would explode with the slightest movement and was hence extremely dangerous
Many men died because of explosions

6. Prairies
The prairies were very easy to build on given their flat terrain
Van Horne worked at a frantic pace as his workers ran an efficient system to complete the track
Van Horne fired anyone who said that something could not be done

7. The Rockies The mountains were the most difficult section to build on
Trestles were built over deep river canyons
Many workers died due to the dangerous conditions
Every km is said to be stained with blood

8. Trestles

9. Chinese Workers
Andrew Onderdonk was the contractor in charge of the British Columbia stretch of track
Onderdonk hired many Chinese workers to build as they would work for less money

10. Mistreatment Chinese workers endured racism on a daily basis
They received roughly half the wages a regular worker would receive and were charged for room and meals leaving little extra money to return to China

11. Put in the Path of Danger
Canadian supervisors often assigned the most dangerous jobs to Chinese workers
Many feel to their deaths while working at great heights over the treacherous Fraser River
Many died during nitro explosions

12. Aboriginals Peoples
It appeared much of the railway would pass directly through Aboriginal lands protected by treaties
The Blackfoot nearly went to war, but a crisis was averted

13. Money By 1885, the CPR was facing a shortage of money
Crews could not be paid and some workers went on strike
The government lent the railway money

14. In Business In 1886, the first coast to coast trip was executed
The tracks would help bring almost a million settlers from all over the world to Western Canada