Expansion and Economic Development in Canada

In 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway Company completed the first Canadian transcontinental railroad. The company was formed in 1881, in part to address the political scandals associated with lucrative rail contracts and to emphasize an all-Canada railroad. However, other railroad companies such as the St. Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway continued to build and maintain their own lines, many of which took advantage of established U.S. routes. This advertisement shows not only how Canadian railroads sought to attract “customers” from Canada and abroad to populate the huge tracts of land awarded to railroad companies, but also the international nature of Canadian railroad development. As you examine the advertisement, think about the role railroads played in facilitating Canada’s westward expansion.

READING AND DISCUSSION QUESTIONS