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Our history

Why was the Canadian Pacific Railway built?

Incorporated in 1881, Canadian Pacific Railway was formed to physically unite Canada and Canadians from coast to coast and the building of the railway is considered to be one of Canada's greatest feats of engineering. 

The CPR played a major role in the promotion of tourism and immigration, as well as Canada's war efforts and through the years, the railway grew and diversified to include steamships, hotels, airlines, mining, oil and gas exploration, delivery and telecommunications companies.

Visit the cpconnectingcanada.ca site to explore the rich history of the CPR and view interesting photographs from the CPR archives:

Visit cpconnectingcanada.ca