Building the CPR has benefited Canada in so many ways. But who is given credit? Even though everyone-Van Horne, the CPR Syndicate, MacDonald and the workers- were all important, the most important person was John MacDonald. MacDonald was the CEO of the Canadian Pacific Railway. He contributed so much for the railway. “He was the one making the important decisions, hiring people and taking part in any aspect of building the CPR.”(Samra, K., 2013, para 5). He took action and decided to make his dream to reality. His dream was to connect the new nation of Canada from sea to sea with a transcontinental railway. Without his dream and determination, the CPR would have never happened.
The second most important would be the workers. Many people might think that the president, Van Horne, would be second. However this is not the case. Even though he was the president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, the CPR could not have been possible without the workers. You can’t have a leader without any followers. Therefore the workers should be ranked the second most important. They were the ones who built the railway. They risked their lives and thousands of men have died. The workers were building the CPR everyday, rain or shine.
William Van Horne is the third most important person in building the railway. Van Horne became the Vice President of the CPR in September 1885 and than became the president four years later. He was full of determination and knowledge and he has such great leadership skills. as bringing life and energy back into making the CPR a reality. Horne has many experiences with railways and the CPR was just many of his achievements. According to the Canadian Railway Hall of Fame (2002) “while the CPR’s contract with the government dictated completion of the road within a decade, Van Horne — through sheer determination — found ways to finish it in five.” (para 2).
Last but not least is the CPR Syndicate. Even though they are the fourth most important, the CPR Syndicate played an important role in the railway. They provided money for the railway and planned the path of the railway. Without their funding, the railway would not have been brought to life.
References
Canadian Railway (2004) Hall of Fame: John A. MacDonald. Retrieved from http://www.railfame.ca/sec_ind/leaders/en_2004_MacDonaldJ.asp
Canadian Railway (2002) Hall of Fame: Sir William Cornelius Van Horne. Retrieved from http://www.railfame.ca/sec_ind/leaders/en_2002_VanHorneW.asp
Samra, K.(2013). Explore The Past With Me in SS10! Retrieved from http://jhss10kuljitsamra.wordpress.com/
Socials Studies 10 