The Canadian The Canadian Pacific RailwayPacific Railway

The Steel Ribbon…The Steel Ribbon…

The Story of the CPRThe Story of the CPR

The first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir The first Prime Minister of Canada, Sir John A. Macdonald, dreams of a John A. Macdonald, dreams of a

railroad that would connect the vast railroad that would connect the vast areas of Canadaareas of Canada

This railway would help transport people This railway would help transport people from the East to West and vice versafrom the East to West and vice versa

Also, it would be a great hand in moving Also, it would be a great hand in moving new immigrants from the East coast to new immigrants from the East coast to the vast areas of land in the Westthe vast areas of land in the West

With this railway, farmers from the West With this railway, farmers from the West could bring their products to the Eastcould bring their products to the East

What an excellent idea!What an excellent idea!

After being re-elected in 1872, Macdonald After being re-elected in 1872, Macdonald and the conservatives decide to begin on and the conservatives decide to begin on this projectthis project

The Canadian Pacific Railway, under Sir The Canadian Pacific Railway, under Sir Hugh Allan, take over the constructionHugh Allan, take over the construction

But then something went wrong…But then something went wrong… Word got to Canadians that Allan and Word got to Canadians that Allan and

his friends had given Macdonald lots of his friends had given Macdonald lots of

cashcash to help him get elected, in return for to help him get elected, in return for

Macdonald to guarantee his company theMacdonald to guarantee his company the

right to build this railway.right to build this railway.

This was known as “The PacificThis was known as “The Pacific

Scandal”Scandal”

This ‘bribe’ , ladies and gentlemen, This ‘bribe’ , ladies and gentlemen, cost Macdonald his job…for now at cost Macdonald his job…for now at least…least…

Macdonald resigned, and the Liberal Macdonald resigned, and the Liberal leader, Alexander Mackenzie took leader, Alexander Mackenzie took over as Prime Ministerover as Prime Minister

Mackenzie saw this whole railway Mackenzie saw this whole railway thing as a waste of time, too good to thing as a waste of time, too good to be true, and far too expensivebe true, and far too expensive

During Mackenzie’s 5 year term, a During Mackenzie’s 5 year term, a great economic depression set in…great economic depression set in…

Canadian crops were attacked by Canadian crops were attacked by insects (weevils and grasshoppers)insects (weevils and grasshoppers)

Many small businesses ran out of Many small businesses ran out of money because they could not money because they could not compete with cheaper goods from compete with cheaper goods from the United Statesthe United States

The people of Canada blamed The people of Canada blamed Mackenzie’s government… Mackenzie’s government…

1878…Macdonald’s 1878…Macdonald’s National Policy…National Policy…

Keep cheaper American goods out, Keep cheaper American goods out, and encourage Canadians to buy and encourage Canadians to buy domestic productsdomestic products

Fill the rich prairie lands with settlersFill the rich prairie lands with settlers Have the settlers of the West buy Have the settlers of the West buy

products from the East, and vice versaproducts from the East, and vice versa And most importantly, continue the And most importantly, continue the

construction of the CPR.construction of the CPR.

The Canadian people re-elected The Canadian people re-elected Macdonald in 1878.Macdonald in 1878.

By 1880, the construction of the By 1880, the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway is back in Canadian Pacific Railway is back in full throttle under the management of full throttle under the management of George Stephen and Donald A. SmithGeorge Stephen and Donald A. Smith

So before we go on, a little side note…So before we go on, a little side note… William Cornelius Van Horne – Railway William Cornelius Van Horne – Railway

supervisor who proved his success supervisor who proved his success through his accomplishment on the CPRthrough his accomplishment on the CPR

His idea was to work on the railroad at His idea was to work on the railroad at different placesdifferent places

We must understand that building the We must understand that building the railroad was not a simple process…It railroad was not a simple process…It entailed surveying the route by land and entailed surveying the route by land and by sea (through canoeing), and laying the by sea (through canoeing), and laying the tracktrack

Spikers would hammer in steel spikes to Spikers would hammer in steel spikes to lay down the foundation for the railwaylay down the foundation for the railway

Building problems…Building problems…

In Northern Ontario: cutting down hills, In Northern Ontario: cutting down hills, filling in swamps, blasting through filling in swamps, blasting through granite, lowering lake levelsgranite, lowering lake levels

““two hundred miles of engineering two hundred miles of engineering impossibility” Van Horneimpossibility” Van Horne

Some swamps were really hard to get Some swamps were really hard to get through, with mosquitoes and blackflies through, with mosquitoes and blackflies distracting the workersdistracting the workers

The Granite had to be blasted through The Granite had to be blasted through with explosives, and many workers lost with explosives, and many workers lost their lives doing thistheir lives doing this

The Prairies: Even though the prairies The Prairies: Even though the prairies were a little easier to get through because were a little easier to get through because the land was more flat, it was still hard to the land was more flat, it was still hard to lay the foundations for a railwaylay the foundations for a railway

Van Horne fired any workers who Van Horne fired any workers who complained, because he was determined complained, because he was determined to finish as much of this project as to finish as much of this project as possible in the least amount of timepossible in the least amount of time

Stations along the prairies were used to Stations along the prairies were used to store material and different gangs of store material and different gangs of workers were responsible for different workers were responsible for different parts of the railwayparts of the railway

The Mountains: This was the most difficult The Mountains: This was the most difficult and dangerous part of building the railwayand dangerous part of building the railway

Trestles (framework used as a bridge to Trestles (framework used as a bridge to support the railway tracks) had to be set support the railway tracks) had to be set up and builtup and built

Sometimes, workers had to blast through Sometimes, workers had to blast through rocks to make pathsrocks to make paths

Other times, workers had to walk along Other times, workers had to walk along narrow paths and on the edges of cliffsnarrow paths and on the edges of cliffs

It was so dangerous that some claimedIt was so dangerous that some claimed

“ “every kilometre of tunnel and every kilometre of tunnel and track was stained with blood along track was stained with blood along the British Columbia section of the the British Columbia section of the line”line”

Meet the Builders…Meet the Builders… The workers of the railway were called The workers of the railway were called

Navvies. They came from all over the Navvies. They came from all over the world. They included: Americans, English, world. They included: Americans, English, Scots, Irish, Italians, Swedes, Chinese, and Scots, Irish, Italians, Swedes, Chinese, and CanadiansCanadians

Chinese workers: Andrew Onderdonk, Chinese workers: Andrew Onderdonk, workers contractor in BC, brought in workers contractor in BC, brought in thousands of Chinese workersthousands of Chinese workers

These workers were often treated very These workers were often treated very badly and lived in terrible conditionsbadly and lived in terrible conditions

They also faced a lot of racism and They also faced a lot of racism and discriminationdiscrimination

Often they were given the most Often they were given the most dangerous jobsdangerous jobs

They were ridiculously underpaidThey were ridiculously underpaid

The Aboriginal Point of The Aboriginal Point of View…View…

The aboriginals were very unhappy when The aboriginals were very unhappy when the path of the railway swallowed parts of the path of the railway swallowed parts of their landtheir land

Many on the Blackfoot (Siksika) reserve Many on the Blackfoot (Siksika) reserve were very upset when it was decided that were very upset when it was decided that the railway would pass through their the railway would pass through their reserve, even though Treaty 7 had reserve, even though Treaty 7 had promised them full ownership of the promised them full ownership of the reservereserve

Father Lacombe, a missionary, was able to Father Lacombe, a missionary, was able to diffuse this situation by promising diffuse this situation by promising Crowfoot, and the aboriginals, Crowfoot, and the aboriginals, government compensation government compensation

And, of course…Money And, of course…Money Problem$Problem$

By 1885, bug parts of the railway were By 1885, bug parts of the railway were completed, but it was far from donecompleted, but it was far from done

Not many people wanted to invest in this Not many people wanted to invest in this project, just yet, and the opposition in project, just yet, and the opposition in parliament were still against the idea of parliament were still against the idea of lending anymore money to this projectlending anymore money to this project

Workers were scared that they would not Workers were scared that they would not be getting paid, and began to strikebe getting paid, and began to strike

However, it’s a Happy However, it’s a Happy Ending…Ending…

George Stephen and Donald Smith George Stephen and Donald Smith were able to put together 1 million were able to put together 1 million dollars, and Macdonald secured dollars, and Macdonald secured another government loan to finish off another government loan to finish off the projectthe project

At 9:22 a.m. on November 7, 1885, At 9:22 a.m. on November 7, 1885, the last spike was hammered into the last spike was hammered into the Canadian Pacific Railway. The the Canadian Pacific Railway. The Ribbon of Steel was finally in place…Ribbon of Steel was finally in place…

Donald Smith, the bearded man in Donald Smith, the bearded man in the centre of the picture, hammers the centre of the picture, hammers

in the last spike of the CPRin the last spike of the CPR

First Passenger Train First Passenger Train Ride…Ride…

At 8:00 p.m. on June 28, 1886, the first At 8:00 p.m. on June 28, 1886, the first passenger train left Montreal. 139 hours passenger train left Montreal. 139 hours later, it arrived at Port Moody, British later, it arrived at Port Moody, British Columbia, on July 4, 1886. The train was Columbia, on July 4, 1886. The train was only one minute lateonly one minute late

This day was known as “red letter” dayThis day was known as “red letter” day

First TrainsFirst Trains Consisted of a baggage car, a luxurious first-Consisted of a baggage car, a luxurious first-

class day car and sleeper, the dining car, and class day car and sleeper, the dining car, and the colonist carthe colonist car

The colonist cars would become very The colonist cars would become very important as they transported new important as they transported new immigrants to Western Canadaimmigrants to Western Canada

As The Years Went On…As The Years Went On… The Mounties faced several attempts of The Mounties faced several attempts of

robberies over the years. In one case near robberies over the years. In one case near Kamloops, BC, a group of bandits stopped Kamloops, BC, a group of bandits stopped the train at gunpoint. The Mounties ended the train at gunpoint. The Mounties ended up arresting them two days laterup arresting them two days later

Over the years, Van Horne promoted the Over the years, Van Horne promoted the railway through advertisements on the railway through advertisements on the comfort of the trains, and CPR hotels. comfort of the trains, and CPR hotels. Artists were encouraged to paint pictures Artists were encouraged to paint pictures which were sent across the worldwhich were sent across the world

Questions…Questions…

Please answer number 1-5 on page Please answer number 1-5 on page 169169

Additional questions:Additional questions:

1) Why was the construction of the CPR 1) Why was the construction of the CPR so important to British Columbia?so important to British Columbia?

2) What kind of hardships did the 2) What kind of hardships did the Chinese workers endure?Chinese workers endure?

3) Overall, was the CPR beneficial for 3) Overall, was the CPR beneficial for Canadians or not? Why?Canadians or not? Why?