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The Canadian Pacific Railway is a line of railway which traverses British North America from the St Lawrence to the Pacific. One of the conditions upon which the province of British Columbia in 1871 entered the Dominion of Canada was the construction of such a railway. Since that time more than one act had been passed empowering different companies to go on with the work. Eventually, however, it was completed, according to arrangement with the Canadian government, by a syndicate of London, Paris, and American capitalists, being opened for general traffic in June, 1886. Commencing at Montreal, the line goes on to Ottawa, thence round the north of the Great Lakes to Port Arthur at the head of Lake Superior, and thence to Winnipeg, Manitoba, thence to Stephen in the Rocky Mountains, then across British Columbia to Vancouver on the Pacific. Vancouver, now a thriving city, owes its existence to this railway. The line was of great importance not only as a means of communication between Europe and Eastern Asia and Australasia, but also as a military highway binding together the great masses of the British Empire during the late 19th century.
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In negotiating the treaty of 1846, by which the forty-ninth parallel, from the Rocky Mountains to the sea, was made the boundary between the American and British possessions, a controversy arose concerning the course of the line through the channel which divides Vancouver Island from the mainland. The Americans contended for the Canal de Haro, the British for the Rosario Strait. To avoid conflict, it was decided that both nations occupy the island of San Juan at opposite ends. In 1872 the German Emperor, acting as arbitrator, decided for America.
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George Vancouver was an English navigator. He was born in 1757 and died in 1798. He entered the navy at the age of 13 and sailed with Cook on his second and third voyages of discovery.
In 1791 he was appointed by the British Government to survey the northwest coast of North America from 30 degrees north latitude, northward. He returned to England in 1795. A report of his careful survey was published entitled 'Voyage of Discovery to the North Pacific Ocean and Round the World. England's claim to Oregon was mainly founded on it.
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Hayden Christensen is a Canadian actor. He was born in 1981 at vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his role as 'Anakin Skywalker' in the Star Wars films.
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James Doohan was a Canadian actor. He was born in 1920 at Vancouver, British Columbia and died in 2005. He was best known for playing the role of 'Scotty' the chief engineer in the 1960's television series 'Star Trek'
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Jason Priestley is a Canadian actor. He was born in 1969 at Vancouver, British Columbia. He is best known for his role as Brandon Walsh from 1990 to 1998 in the television series 'Beverly Hills, 90210'.
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Joey Cramer is a Canadian actor. He was born in 1973 at Vancouver. He is best known for starring in the 1986 film 'Flight of the Navigator'.
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John Ireland was a Canadian actor. He was born in 1914 at Vancouver, British Columbia and died in 1992 of leukaemia.
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Lee Patterson is a Canadian actor. He was born in 1929 at Vancouver, British Columbia.
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Marc Singer is a Canadian actor. He was born in 1948 at Vancouver.
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The Probert Encyclopaedia was designed, edited and programed by
Matt and Leela Probert
©1993 - 2009 The Probert Encyclopaedia
Southampton, United Kingdom
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