A LINK OF EMPIRE.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 13394, 30 May 1914, Page 10

A LINK OF EMPIRE.

GRAND TRUNK PACIFIC COMPLETED.

. TORONTO, April 9. • The last mile of steel linking up the entire system of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was laid at the Nechaco River Crossing in British Columbia in the presence of Messrs Morley and Donaldson, the vice-president and general manager of the line, who came > from Winnipeg to be present' at the ceremony. The final span of rail was spiked ' to the ties at 12 45 p.m. on April 7, and the road was declared fin-, ished. There was no -elaborate ceremony, only the officials of the company being present. The formal ceremony of driving ! a , golden , spike will take place later.* The connection was made, at a point 37 lmiles east of Prince Rupert and 1375 ■• miles west- of Winnipeg in the, ; heart of rough British Columbia country^ . v • . The. building of the. Grand Trunk Pacific Railway is, by far: tho most important work that lias been undertaken m Canada: sinpe the Canadian Pacific Railway was completed. It runs. from ocean to ocean; on 'British terrtiory, whereas the . Canadian Pacific lias to pass through the State of Maine. The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company was incorporated by Act- of Parliament m. 1903. i Itr entered, into agreements with the Canadian Government, for the I construction and; working of ai line across Canada of an estimated main line length of 36Q0 mileß;, „ A fierce politeal . battje , -waa fought over the Grand Trunk , Pacific . Bill in the fii-st years of the centnry^ In November, 1904, an electaon, wliioli turned mainly, upon thia question> ended in v a victory for the Liberals, ; who carried 130 seats, whereas their opponents, , the Con 7 servatives, secuxed , only' 75. Ine chief liiberal vote was cast in Nova Scotia, Quebec, an4 Ontario, but British Oolum-, Jbifl, A and, Manitoba also 'gave . decisive majorities in fayor. of the line. The Liberal victory was undoubtedly ■.•due. ih ( large measure to the- desire of : the .people to hajye the, railway built, and to. their determination to put the. matteibeyond question. ,The line starts from 'Moncton, in New Brunswick, and reaches, tHe Pacific' Coast -at Priitce Rupert,, in British Columbia. Tho route, taken, is by way of . Qpebec. Winnipeg, Saskatoon,, and. Edmonton. .Jt opensaip regions of Saskatchewan, Albei-tn! and [British" Colum.biav hitherto., unf/oiiched by a stan,dard-gaugo railway, and cojiseqnently, deprived, of, i)i>ssibilities of ecoriomio development. Nq. gradient, expeeds one in 250, sharp curves 'are conspicuously, absent/and all tho construction; work has; been done more carefully and thoroughly' than has been customary with, builders of . railways, in , W«stern Canada or even hi the Western States. By the line Whi-ipeg will be brought into more, direct, touch with the- richest fining, districts of British Columbia, and. itg : development into! & Canadian counterpart of Chicago will be accelerated.