THE CPR AND THE NATIONAL POLICY

The CPR• John A. MacDonald: maybe the

only person more obsessed with trains than Sheldon Cooper

• The CPR was a huge part of the National Policy.

Key Points from earlier this week.• When BC entered Confederation

(1871) it was promised a railway.

• They would help with settlement, and the transportation of goods.

• The CPR and Settlement of the West are connected parts of the National Policy.

Building a train across the second largest land mass on the planet, what could go wrong?

• Everybody out of your seats and stand in a line around the room.

• You represent the railway.

• Lets play telephone!

Road Blocks• The Railroad had many barriers to completion:

• Treaty lands and Reserves. First Nations were NOT happy with railroads cutting through their territories.

• $$$$ It cost a LOT of money.

• A little geographical obstacle: THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

The Pacific Scandal: 1872 • John A MacDonald’s

government collapsed due to dirty dealings with railroad $$$

• Sir Hugh Allan a CPR financial backer gave MacDonald $ for his campaign.

PACIFIC SCANDAL• Word got out and John A.

resigned in 1873.

• Liberal leader Alexander Mackenzie was anti railroad -believed it was a waste of money

• But BC was demanding their railroad

• Eventually Mackenzie lost the people’s support.

Back with vengeance • MacDonald back in office had

greater motivation to finish this railroad

• Why did he want the railroad so bad?

CPR syndicate: 1880• New money: James Hill,

Donald Smith and George Stephen

• To build the railway they got: • 25million $• 25million acres• Rail traffic monopoly

Over the Rockies• William Van Horne was hired to

take the railroad over the Rockies

• This was expensive and the railway was almost out of money

$upport• The railway needed public support… How were they

going to get it?

• Everybody up out of your seats and back onto the rail line

North West Rebellion Connection• With the successful defeat

of the North West Rebellion in 1885 the people supported the CPR even though it was expensive.

• It took WEEKS to get to Red River in 1869, but only 5 days for troops to reach Winnipeg in 1885.

The last spike

• Donald Smith drove in the last spike of the CPR at Craigellachie, British Columbia 1885