Tag Archives: Canadian Railroad

How the Canadian Railroad Shaped Canada

CANADA MONDAY, The Coast to Coast Canadian Railroad

The Last Spike about the Canadian Railroad

Destination: Canada

Book: The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885 by Pierre Berton (publ. 1971; paperback 2001)

Canadian railroad Bow Valley
Canadian railroad Bow Valley. Photo by Gus MacLeod

I have a folder on my desk called Canadian Railroad.  There I stick tidbits about the trans-continental, or Western Canada rail road trips that we have long had on our “wannago” list.  So when I started a series of books about Canada at A Traveler’s Library, it seemed important to cover this book about the building of the Canadian railroad.  I was right.  This book is an essential if you’re a rail fan, or particularly if you’re planning one of those long journeys from the populated East of Canada to the wide open spaces of the west. However, the best way to read The Last Spike: The Great Railway, 1881-1885 might be on a long, long railway journey, because it is a long, long book. Continue reading How the Canadian Railroad Shaped Canada