First Train Service on the Canadian Pacific Railway's Western Section

June 8, 1883, saw the inauguration of scheduled passenger trains on the Canadian Pacific Railway's newly completed track between Winnipeg and Calgary. This milestone came amid the massive construction effort led by William Cornelius Van Horne to link eastern Canada with the Pacific coast. Overcoming Rocky Mountain passes and harsh weather, the CPR used 4-4-0 steam locomotives for early services. The event fueled national unity post-Confederation and enabled settlement of the prairies. It foreshadowed the driving of the last spike at Craigellachie in 1885, forever changing Canadian transportation and commerce.