Canadian Pacific Railway Transcontinental Service Begins

June 16, 1886, saw the inaugural scheduled transcontinental train depart from Montreal on the Canadian Pacific Railway, arriving in Port Moody, British Columbia, after a five-day journey. This completed the promise of a rail link to the Pacific made during Canadian Confederation. Key figures included William Cornelius Van Horne, who oversaw construction through the Rocky Mountains. The route featured engineering marvels like the Spiral Tunnels and connected remote regions, spurring immigration and economic growth. It symbolized national unity and competed with American lines for Asian trade routes.