Cpr

Prior to the introduction of the first passenger train in British North America, land transportation was a difficult undertaking. Diaries and journals of the day recount long, arduous trips by foot, wagon, coach, sleigh, or some combination of each with water transport. Roads were few. Where they existed, the dirt became mud in the spring and the addition of planks and logs was treacherous to the wagon wheels traversing them. "Macadamized" roads -- roads made with layers of small, broken stones mixed with tar or asphalt -- were an improvement, but expensive to maintain. Before the Grand Trunk Railway bridged the distance between MontrÐ"©al and Toronto, it took at least thirty-six hours to travel between the two cities by stagecoach. Remote destinations, like the interiors of Newfoundland and Labrador or British Columbia, the Klondike or the Arctic, were almost impossible to reach.

Railway mania gripped Canada at various periods, but not long after the inauguration of the first railway in 1836, people realized the advantages of having a line run through their town. Mass transportation unified regions and the easier exchange of goods, services and people yielded profit, progress and development. Construction of the railroads and trains provided work. Convinced of its promise for their town or region, eager politicians jumped on the railway bandwagon and into the favour of their constituents.

Despite their popularity, most railways were characterized by chronic financial problems and eventually went bankrupt or were absorbed by larger companies. Governments that helped fund the ventures were left holding the empty moneybag when companies could not generate enough profit or pay their debts. Sometimes this happened before the construction of a railroad was complete and in many instances, it had not even begun. Public benefits from a new line were real, but over-zealous promotions masked a combination of unrealistic hopes and lack of proper

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