John A. MacDonald
Thanks to John A. MacDonald and his National Policy, the Canadian Pacific Railway was built after much struggle and debate (Pacific Scandal, Finacial Issues, Pressed for Time, North West Rebellion, Treaties) and Western Canada was finally connected with the East! The Railway has affected many people and events over the past few centuries and it has definetly had both negative and postive impacts on how people today live their lives. This Web-page is a brief summarization of the C.P.R and how the Royal Proclomation and the Treaties have affected the many First Nation Cultures of Canada. Feel Free to browse through the links! They are filled with extra "bits" of information, facts and pictures!
How the CPR affected Western Canada
The Canadian Pacific Railway was built during the 1880's and officialy opened in 1885. Throughout the process of it's establishment, different routes had been charted. Sanford Flemming, an engineer, was initialy asked to chart the easiest possible route across the west, which he did. However the CPR. Syndicate later would demand a new route roughly 300 miles south of Flemming's so that they could maintian complete control. At the time, the more northern areas where cities like Saskatoon and Edmonton now lie, were settled and much of the land had been purchased. By moving the railine to the south, the CPR could control the unoccupied land that the train ran through and the company could decide where settlements develop!
Had the railway been built along it's original route, the population of the prairies, in particular, Alberta and Saskatchewan, could very well be much further north then where it is today. Southern cities like Calgary and Regina, might not have even developed until much later and they could possibly have not even existed!
Western Canada has become a very rich and fertile land full of vast amounts of cropland and many oil and mining fields! It was extremly important that the railway was built because had it of not been, this vast area could have very well been taken by the Americans just across the border! (Whisky Traders) Even if Canada had somehow managed to secure such a large area, populating it would have been very difficult without a railway! Since there were no planes or highways or cars, it took months to travel across the prairies and communication with the government and family and friends back east would have been very minimal! With a steady connection to both the east AND the west (British Columbia finally joined Canada thanks to the railway) homesteaders from places like southern Ontario and the maritimes were able to search for a better life and escape the depressions that battered the East!
Had the railway been built along it's original route, the population of the prairies, in particular, Alberta and Saskatchewan, could very well be much further north then where it is today. Southern cities like Calgary and Regina, might not have even developed until much later and they could possibly have not even existed!
Western Canada has become a very rich and fertile land full of vast amounts of cropland and many oil and mining fields! It was extremly important that the railway was built because had it of not been, this vast area could have very well been taken by the Americans just across the border! (Whisky Traders) Even if Canada had somehow managed to secure such a large area, populating it would have been very difficult without a railway! Since there were no planes or highways or cars, it took months to travel across the prairies and communication with the government and family and friends back east would have been very minimal! With a steady connection to both the east AND the west (British Columbia finally joined Canada thanks to the railway) homesteaders from places like southern Ontario and the maritimes were able to search for a better life and escape the depressions that battered the East!
Just because the railway was established however, it did take quite sometime to attract a sufficient population and interest of the west. However, the Canadian Pacific Rail company knew just what would attract people and it was business.
Hotels greatly attracted tourists and brought people into the major cities. (Hotel Vancouver, Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and Place Viger in Montreal) As well a year-round port in Saint John, New Brunswick was put to use thanks to a line connecting it to Montreal via the state of Maine. The Railway also worked as an international trading route between Britain's colony of Hong Kong in China back to Britain! There was even lines extended into the American State of North Dakota! This brought a variety of goods and of course, people into the nation! Many of the workers for the CPR that helped finish the B.C. section of the railway were from China and since then a heavy influence of chinese and other asian cultures has been seen across the nation! For all these reasons, Immigration has been a long occurring trend for Canada and continues to this day!
Hotels greatly attracted tourists and brought people into the major cities. (Hotel Vancouver, Chateau Frontenac in Quebec City and Place Viger in Montreal) As well a year-round port in Saint John, New Brunswick was put to use thanks to a line connecting it to Montreal via the state of Maine. The Railway also worked as an international trading route between Britain's colony of Hong Kong in China back to Britain! There was even lines extended into the American State of North Dakota! This brought a variety of goods and of course, people into the nation! Many of the workers for the CPR that helped finish the B.C. section of the railway were from China and since then a heavy influence of chinese and other asian cultures has been seen across the nation! For all these reasons, Immigration has been a long occurring trend for Canada and continues to this day!
For all these Reasons and more, the C.P.R. has had a long-lasting print on our nation and it's identity!
Click Here to view The Story of the Canadain Pacific Railway, it is a booklet demonstrating how the Confederation of Canada, the CPR and Western Settlement all link up
Click Here to view The Story of the Canadain Pacific Railway, it is a booklet demonstrating how the Confederation of Canada, the CPR and Western Settlement all link up
Royal Proclamtion &Treaties: Past, Present and Future
In 1763, King George III of England delivered the Royal Proclamation. This one document has affected and continues to affect the Canadian government's relationship with the Aboriginal Peoples into today. "This provision details that there is nothing in Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms to diminish the rights and freedoms that are recognized as those of aboriginal peoples by the Royal Proclamation." Here is some further information on the Indian Act
When the treaties were signed in the 1870's, the way of life for almost all First Nation peoples changed, forever. Many were forced to move to government issued reserves and their rights to hunt, fish, trap and celebrate their religions and traditions were basically taken from them! Many were left poverty stricken and became dependant completley on the government for survival! Eventually this issue became one of the main reasons why the North West Rebellion broke out between the government and the Metis!
Around the same time , Residential Schools were implemented and thus further grievances occured! Assalimation to "white society" was huge. Many children of first-nation decent were brainwashed and abused! The aftermath of the treatmeant of the children in these schools contiunes today with the widespread effects of emotional and physical abuse as well as addiciton to substances and alcohol!
Gradually however, some positive changes have came about over the past century and a half. Here is a brief timeline depicting some of the key events related to First Nation affairs with Canada. In recent decades, First Nation rights have been re-established and the treatment of their culture has changed. Of course this doesn't mean that everything is perfect. There are still issues and struggles ongoing to this very day!
The Idle No More Campaign, is an example of how First Nation Rights are still an issue in modern day and how the Royal Proclamtion is still important. In recent years, many Canadian First Nation reserves have been feeling the effects of industrialization and pollution as the result of the process of extracting various resources (timber, minerals, water, gas) from their traditional grounds! In return the government has allegedly been promising some financial profits to different bands when they agree to sign over their territories so that big companies like those in the Oil and Gas industry, can take the resources. However, the government has yet to live up to their promises! Now many of these reserves lie both in poverty and in pollution!
Their rights as well have also been an issue. In order to recieve bennefits from the government for being of First-Nation-Descent, you must live on a reserve or in a regulated commnity! This has angered many p[eople over the years and finally some very attetnion-grabbing protests have begun! ( Highways have been shut down, streets have been blocked by demonstrations, leaders demanding meetings with both Steven Harper and Britain!)
In Conclusion, The Royal Proclamation and the way that our anscestors treated our nations' aboriginals has had a LONG-lasting effect! That one document will most likely contiune to do so into future generations!
When the treaties were signed in the 1870's, the way of life for almost all First Nation peoples changed, forever. Many were forced to move to government issued reserves and their rights to hunt, fish, trap and celebrate their religions and traditions were basically taken from them! Many were left poverty stricken and became dependant completley on the government for survival! Eventually this issue became one of the main reasons why the North West Rebellion broke out between the government and the Metis!
Around the same time , Residential Schools were implemented and thus further grievances occured! Assalimation to "white society" was huge. Many children of first-nation decent were brainwashed and abused! The aftermath of the treatmeant of the children in these schools contiunes today with the widespread effects of emotional and physical abuse as well as addiciton to substances and alcohol!
Gradually however, some positive changes have came about over the past century and a half. Here is a brief timeline depicting some of the key events related to First Nation affairs with Canada. In recent decades, First Nation rights have been re-established and the treatment of their culture has changed. Of course this doesn't mean that everything is perfect. There are still issues and struggles ongoing to this very day!
The Idle No More Campaign, is an example of how First Nation Rights are still an issue in modern day and how the Royal Proclamtion is still important. In recent years, many Canadian First Nation reserves have been feeling the effects of industrialization and pollution as the result of the process of extracting various resources (timber, minerals, water, gas) from their traditional grounds! In return the government has allegedly been promising some financial profits to different bands when they agree to sign over their territories so that big companies like those in the Oil and Gas industry, can take the resources. However, the government has yet to live up to their promises! Now many of these reserves lie both in poverty and in pollution!
Their rights as well have also been an issue. In order to recieve bennefits from the government for being of First-Nation-Descent, you must live on a reserve or in a regulated commnity! This has angered many p[eople over the years and finally some very attetnion-grabbing protests have begun! ( Highways have been shut down, streets have been blocked by demonstrations, leaders demanding meetings with both Steven Harper and Britain!)
In Conclusion, The Royal Proclamation and the way that our anscestors treated our nations' aboriginals has had a LONG-lasting effect! That one document will most likely contiune to do so into future generations!