What role did the CPR [Canadian Pacific Railway] play in Macdonalds National Policy?
The CPR was the cornerstone of the National Policy. The West could not develop as a center for agricultural export until goods could be transported in and out of the region. Macdonald also thought that the CPR could be a part of the British Empire’s trading network by providing the means to ship goods to and from Asia. The construction of the CPR became the government’s top priority. Cranny, Michael, Graham Jarvis, Garvin Moles, Bruce Seney. Horizons: Canada Moves West, Toronto, Pearson Education Canada Inc., 1999, p. 186. ▲ 98) How did the new railways affect Western cities? Many cities in Western Canada owe their existence to the coming of the railway. These cities were often early fur trade centers that were chosen as divisional centers for the expanding railways. As former fur posts, they were usually well situated for development. Saskatoon, Edmonton, Prince George, and Prince Rupert were communities that were selected as divisional points on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway [?]. A
