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CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT

Canadian Pacific Railway Continued

CPR even discovered natural gas on the prairies, although quite by accident. In 1886, while digging a well to get water
for its steam locomotives, CPR crews stumbled across natural gas in what is now Alderson, Alberta. The railway
would later use the natural gas to heat and power the station and ancillary buildings.
Tourism and Recreation

Van Horne envisioned a string of grand hotels across Canada that would draw wealthy visitors from abroad to his rail-
way. With heavy advertising of scenic mountains and magnificent vistas, the opening of the Banff Springs Hotel in 1988
was a hit. Shortly after hotels, resorts and bungalows were built
across the country.

Immigration and Settlements

Given that the west was sparsely populated when the railway was first
built, the CPR actively recruited immigrants and settlers form eastern
Canada and Europe. More settlers meant more passengers and cargo
on CPR trains. The Railway sold farmland from their original 25 mil-
lion acre land grant at bargain prices.
War Efforts

With the outbreak of World War II, the entire CPR network was
once again put at the disposal of the war effort. On land, CPR moved 307 million tons of freight and 86 million passen-
gers, including 280,000 military personnel. At sea 22 CPR ships went to war where 12 of them were sunk. In the air,
CPR pioneered the “Atlantic Bridge” – a massive undertaking that saw the transatlantic ferrying of bombers from Can-
ada to Britain.

1950’s to Today

By 1986, CP, as it became known, was Canada’s second largest company with $15 billion in revenue. In addition to
Canadian Pacific Railway, the company’s subsidiaries included PanCanadian Energy, Fording Coal, CP (later Fairmont)
Hotels, and CP Ships. To capitalize on its refocusing efforts CP expanded its rail network in 1990, taking full control of
the Soo Line in the U.S. Midwest, a company it had a majority interest in since the 1890’s. The Soo Line had already
absorbed the Milwaukee Road in 1985. Three years before, in 1982, the Soo Line bought the Minneapolis, Northfield
and Southern (MNS). In 1991, CPR bought the bankrupt Delaware and Hudson Railway (D & H) giving it access to
ports in the U.S. Northeast.

Embracing an Independent Future

With the goal of unlocking shareholder value, Canadian Pacific spun out its five subsidiaries into separate companies on
October 3, 2001. Today, Canadian Pacific Railway is a fully independent, public company with shares trading on the
major stock exchanges in Toronto and New York.

Today, Canadian Pacific is a transcontinental Railway in Canada and the United States with direct links to major ports
on the west and east coasts. CP provides North American customers a competitive rail service with access to key
markets in every corner of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of freight transportation ser-

Volume 2 : Issue 10 Page 14