Canadian Pacific Railway Reaches Pacific

On June 26, 1883, the Canadian Pacific Railway drove the final spike near Craigellachie, British Columbia, completing Canada's first transcontinental railroad. Led by William Cornelius Van Horne, the project overcame immense engineering challenges including the Rocky Mountains and harsh winters. It used powerful 4-4-0 locomotives initially and connected eastern provinces to British Columbia, fulfilling a key condition of confederation. The railway spurred western settlement, resource extraction, and national unity, while competing with American lines. Its completion transformed Canada into a continental power and enabled luxury services like the Canadian train.