The railway was originally built between Eastern Canada and British Columbia between 1881 and 1885 (connecting with Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay area lines built earlier), fulfilling a promise extended to British Columbia when it entered Confederation in 1871. It was Canada 's first transcontinental railway, but no longer reaches the Atlantic coast. Primarily a freight railway, the CPR was for decades the only practical means of long - distance passenger transport in most regions of Canada, and was instrumental in the settlement and development of Western Canada. The CPR became one of the largest and most powerful companies in Canada, a position it held as late as 1975. Its primary passenger services were eliminated in 1986, after being assumed by Via Rail Canada in 1978. A beaver was chosen as the railway 's logo in honor of Sir Donald A Smith (1st. Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal) who had risen from Factor to Governor of the Hudson 's Bay Company over a lengthy career in the beaver fur trade. Smith was a principal financier of the C.P.R. staking much of his personal wealth. In 1885, he drove the last spike to complete the transcontinental line.
when did the construction of the cpr begin
1881