Glossary: Land of Opportunity
 Canadian
Northern Railway: Deemed "Canada's Second Transcontinental" the Canadian Northern
Railway was incorporated in 1899 following the amalgamation of two small
Manitoba grain-transporting branch lines. At its peak, the CNoR possessed
16,093 km of transcontinental railway, with lines connecting Montreal to
Vancouver. However, as a result of the outbreak of the war in 1914 and
high construction costs, the Canadian Northern Railway encountered serious
financial difficulties. In 1917, on the recommendation of a royal commission,
the federal Government decided to combine the operations of the government-owned
Canadian Government Railways and the privately owned, but financially troubled,
Canadian Northern Railways System. The new railway was called the Canadian
National Railways in 1918. To learn more about this railway, visit the Canadian
Northern Railway website.
Canadian Pacific Railway: Canada's
first transcontinental railway connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific
coast. In 1872, the Canadian Pacific Railway was chartered by Parliament
in Ottawa as the fulfillment of a promise to British Columbia to construct a
Pacific railway within ten years of their joining Canadian Confederation.
Although the rail line faced scandals and shortages of money, the last spike was
driven in by Donald Smith, Lord Strathcona. By mid-1886, regular trains
were running through to the Pacific shores, thereby enabling Vancouver to emerge
as the new west coast terminus. In years to follow, the CPR carried settlers and
supplies into the west and far west plains, took their products out to market,
and prospered both on its land sales and mounting western traffic.
Dominion Lands Act:
An act passed by the federal government in 1872 in order to encourage
settlement. Under the terms of this act, the government provided 160 acres
(65 hectares) of free land to each head of a family or 21 year-old male if he
paid a $10 registration fee, resided on the land for three years, cultivated 30
acres (12 hectares), and built a permanent dwelling.
Grand Trunk Pacific
Railway: Railway line that spanned
4800 kilometers and whose main line ran from Winnipeg, via Melville and Edmonton
to Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Incorporated in 1903, it was built
between 1906 and 1914 to provide the Grand Trunk Railway with western
connections. The Grand Trunk Pacific faced severe competition from the
Canadian Pacific Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway, both of which had
excellent branch and feeder lines on the prairies. In 1919 the federal
government acquired the Grand Trunk Pacific and the Grand Trunk railways and in
1923 the operations of the Grand Trunk, the Grand Trunk Pacific and the national
Transcontinental merged with those of the recently nationalized Canadian
Northern Railway to form the new Canadian National Railway.
 Headtax:
For more information, see Asian
Canadian's special section on Headtax Redress: http://www.asian.ca/redress/index.html
Homestead: A
house that is located on land occupied by the owner, surrounded by outbuildings,
exempt from seizure, and forced sale for debt. Under the Dominion Lands
Act, the "permanent dwelling" and all farm buildings surrounding it
were considered the homestead.
Homestead Act:
See Dominion Lands Act
Homesteader: A
person, or group of people that lived and worked on a homestead. Many of
the immigrants who travelled to Canada became homesteaders.
Immigrant:
A person who
leaves one country (generally their home country) in order to settle permanently
in another.
National Policy: Policy
directive of the Conservative government of John A. MacDonald aimed at
nation-building and creating a healthy industrial economy. The National
Policy was based on three main ideas: the National Policy, or high protective
tariff; the completion of a transcontinental railway; and the settlement of the
West through Immigration. The Conservative government believed that all
Canadians would benefit from this policy, and that through it Canada would become
a true nation in more than name.
Navvy: Slang
term used to describe migrant labourers, usually those that worked on the
railways and roads.
Northwest Territories:
Region in western Canada also known as Rupert's Land, acquired by the Canadian
Government in 1869. The Northwest Territories Act of 1875 determined that
the area would be governed by an appointed council until such time as the
population warranted the necessity of elected officials. The capital of
the region was initially Battleford, until 1882 when it was moved to Regina. The
province of Manitoba was incorporated in ?, while British Columbia joined
confederation in ?. In 1905 the Laurier government created two more western
provinces out of the Northwest Territories, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
Racism: Any communication, action or
course of conduct, whether intentional or unintentional, that denies
recognition, benefits, rights of access to any person or community on
the basis of their membership or perceived membership in a racial,
ethnic or cultural community.
Rupert's Land:
Territory comprised of northern Quebec and Ontario. Manitoba, most of
Saskatchewan, southern Alberta and segments of the North West Territory and
Nunavut that was granted to the Hudson’s Bay Company in 1670 by Charles II of
England. Named in honour of Prince Rupert, the King’s cousin and the Hudson
Bay Company’s first governor, the company was also granted a monopoly on the
furs in and complete control of the territory. By 1870, the Hudson’s Bay
Company had constructed nearly 100 fur trade posts in the territory but, in 1869,
the Canadian government purchased Rupert’s Land from the Company for 300,000
British pounds.
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