Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific celebrate Canadian unity on the 125th
anniversary of the driving of the last spike

CRAIGELLACHIE, BC, Nov. 7 /CNW/ - On behalf of the Honourable John Baird, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, Mr. Dean Del Mastro, Member of Parliament for Peterborough and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage, and Mr. Fred Green, Canadian Pacific President and CEO, today recognized the 125th anniversary of one the most significant moments in Canadian history, the driving of the Last Spike, which completed the country's first trans-continental railway.

Marking this important occasion, Mr. Del Mastro and Mr. Green hammered a symbolic spike at Craigellachie, British Columbia, accompanied by members of the Shuswap Nation, area mayors, local schools, and special guests from Lord Strathcona Horse Regiment (Royal Canadians) and the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery.

"The Last Spike represents the single most important construction project in the history of our country and also the most influential in the development of Canada's national identity. It represents the completion of the railway and the fulfillment of Prime Minister John A. Macdonald's promise to British Columbia to connect the province to the rest of Canada by rail," said Mr. Del Mastro, who also noted that the CP played a critical role in establishing Canada's first national park, Banff, 125 years ago.

As Donald Smith, later known as Lord Strathcona, drove home the Last Spike to complete Canada's first transcontinental railway on November 7, 1885, the country ceased to be, in the words of Macdonald, "a mere geographic expression." Against formidable odds, the ribbon of steel rail united the new province of British Columbia with the more populous centres in the East.

"It is with extreme pride that I stand here with Mr. Del Mastro on this very special day," said Mr. Green, CP's 16th President. "This iconic event marked an important chapter in our history, but also signalled the innovation the railway would bring to the country over the ensuing decades. We honour the hundreds of thousands of men and women who have worked so hard over the last 125 years to make CP and Canada what it is today. Our work continues to make history every day - from driving the last spike to driving the digital railway."

In 2011 Parks Canada will celebrate the 125th anniversary of both Glacier and Yoho national parks and the 100th anniversary of the national parks service. National parks and national historic sites represent the very best that Canada has to offer. These special places contribute to Canada's vibrant tourism industry and exceptional reputation around the world.

For additional information, please see the accompanying backgrounder at www.parkscanada.gc.ca under Media Room and at www.cpr.ca under Media.

Video from the event is available on CNW's Video On Demand at: http://cnw.pathfireondemand.com/main.action

    
                                 Backgrounder

        Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific celebrate Canadian unity on the
             125th anniversary of the driving of the last spike
    

On November 7th, 1885, a modest ceremony was held at Craigellachie, on the western edge of Eagle Pass in British Columbia's Monashee Mountains. Canadian Pacific (CP) crews had been laying track in the pass throughout the summer and fall. On that cloudy November morning, CP director Donald Smith, later known as Lord Strathcona and Mount Royal, drove the symbolic last spike on Canada's first transcontinental railway.

In 1971, the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada (HSMBC) officially designated the completion of Canada's first transcontinental railway as an event of national significance. Eagle Pass National Historic Event commemorates the communal achievement of thousands of workers, engineers, managers, politicians, and planners who enabled the building of the CP. Eagle Pass, first earmarked for the railway by Walter Moberly in 1865, was one of the last stretches of the line to be completed.

In 1985, the HSMBC installed a replacement Eagle Pass plaque at Craigellachie. Today, the site of the Last Spike at Craigellachie is managed by the Revelstoke Railway Museum and the BC Ministry of Transportation.

The completion of the CP Railway was undeniably a turning point in Canadian history. It cemented British Columbia's place in Confederation, enabled the resettlement of the West, and had lasting impacts on everything from government policy to individual lives. In 1871, British Columbia had agreed to enter Confederation in part due to the promise of a railway; in driving the Last Spike, the province was finally connected by rail to the East. The new railway shaped relations between central and western Canada, sheltered Canada against American expansionism, and enabled the growth of western industries like ranching, farming, forestry, mining and tourism.

The CP also played a critical role in establishing Canada's system of national parks. "If we can't export the scenery, then we'll have to import the tourists," said CP's man at the helm and chief promoter William Cornelius Van Horne who suggested the creation of Canada's first national parks along the CP line.

As early as the 1880s, Van Horne went about promoting western Canadian tourism. In 1885, the federal government set aside a system of Rocky Mountain hot springs which CP workers had brought to their attention. These springs today form the core of Banff National Park.

Other locations suggested by CP would lead to the creation of Yoho and Glacier National Parks. For several decades, CP was also responsible for most national park tourist infrastructure and promotion.

The vast majority of early park visitors arrived on CP trains, and the company created effective advertising campaigns that promoted the parks as world-class travel destinations helping set up Canada's first national park and building iconic CP hotels offering spa retreats, mountaineering with Swiss guides, and elegant railway hotels.

This year, Parks Canada and Canadian Pacific celebrated the 125th anniversaries of Banff National Park and driving the Last Spike. Next year will mark the 125th anniversaries of both Glacier and Yoho National Parks and the 100th anniversary of the National Parks Service.

About Canadian Pacific:

Canadian Pacific (CP: TSX/NYSE) operates a North American transcontinental railroad providing freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply chain expertise. Incorporating best-in-class technology and environmental practices, CP is re-defining itself as a modern 21st century transportation company built on safety, service reliability and operational efficiency. Visit CP.ca and see how Canadian Pacific is Driving the Digital Railway.

About Parks Canada:

Parks Canada is a world leader in managing protected areas and continues to work to ensure that Canada's historic and natural heritage is presented and protected for the enjoyment, education and appreciation of all Canadians, today and in the future. Through a network of 42 national parks, 167 national historic sites, and 4 national marine conservation areas, Parks Canada sets the stage and invites Canadians, as well as people from around the world, to engage in personal moments of inspiring discovery of our treasured natural and historic places.

For further information: Pascale Boulay, Press Secretary, Minister's Office, Environment Canada, 819-997-1441; Jacolyn Daniluck, Public Relations and Communication Officer, Parks Canada, Mount Revelstoke and Glacier national parks, 250-837-7500, http://twitter.com/parkscanada; Breanne Feigel, Manager, Communications, Canadian Pacific, 403-589-6949