The Canadian Pacific Railway got its start in 1881 as a way to link the populated eastern portion of Canada with the far less populated western provinces. Thousands of miles of railway were constructed in just four years with building completed in 1885 when the last spike was pounded at Craigellachie, British Columbia. Today, the railway still plays a huge role in transporting agricultural and manufactured goods from one part of the country to the other.
Payment to build the railway was provided to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company (cpr.ca) from the Canadian government. The payment included $25 million along with 25 million acres of land chosen by the railway company on either side of the planned railroad line. The final payment for completion of the railway included a 3-million acre chunk of land between Calgary and Medicine Hat in Alberta.
Natural Gas Discovery
The Canadian Pacific Railway even boasts a claim to fame for discovering natural gas; however, the discovery happened by accident. While construction crews were digging a well to obtain water for their steam locomotives in Alderson, Albert in 1886, the crews found natural gas instead. Eventually, the railway found a way to put the natural gas to work by providing heat and power for their stations and other buildings.
During World War II, the railroad was primarily used to help Canada's war effort; the railway helped transport 280,000 soldiers and other military personnel to various locations around the country. During the effort, the railroad moved 307 million tons of equipment and supplies. The railway company even got involved in the country's efforts at sea by providing 22 ships, of which 12 sunk. The railway also helped get bombers across the sea to Britain, an effort referred to as the "Atlantic Bridge."
The Canadian Pacific Railway Company started other businesses as the need arose, including the steamship service that ran from Owen Sound on the Great Lakes. The company was primarily built to move railway construction supplies around Lake Superior. To handle the supplies, three 263-foot long steamships were built in Scotland and brought to Lake Superior; the boats could each carry 2,000 tons of freight and up to 374 passengers.
After the main transcontinental railway was completed, it became obvious that branch rail lines needed construction next. Less than 20 miles of land along the railway was worth colonizing because horses bringing a cart full of farm products could travel only five to 10 miles to and from the railway in a day. This meant that branch lines became a necessity to capitalize on the railway's vast land holding, especially on the prairies. Unfortunately, the company was in such poor financial condition after building the main railroad that most of the branch lines were developed by other companies, such as the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company and the Alberta Central Railway, among others.