 Innis argues that " the history of the Canadian Pacific Railroad is primarily the history of the spread of Western civilization over the northern half of the North American continent " . As Robert Babe notes , the railway brought industrialization , transporting coal and building supplies to manufacturing sites . It was also a kind of communications medium that contributed to the spread of European civilization . Babe writes that , for Innis , the CPR 's equipment " comprised a massive , energy @-@ consuming , fast @-@ moving , powerful , capital @-@ intensive ' sign ' dropped into the very midst of indigenous peoples , whose entire way of life was disrupted , and eventually shattered as a result . 
 Innis <a href='uninflect' title='1'><mark>argues</mark></a> that " the history of the Canadian Pacific Railroad is primarily the history of the spread of Western civilization over the northern half of the North American continent " . As Robert Babe <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>notes</mark></a> , the railway brought industrialization , transporting coal and building supplies to manufacturing sites . It was also a kind of communications medium <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>contributed to the spread of European civilization . Babe <a href='uninflect' title='4'><mark>writes</mark></a> that , for Innis , the CPR <a href='null_genetive' title='5'><mark>'s</mark></a>equipment " comprised a massive , energy @-@ consuming , fast @-@ moving , powerful , capital @-@ intensive ' sign ' dropped into the very midst of indigenous peoples , whose entire way of life was disrupted , and eventually shattered as a result . 
Innis argue dat " da history of tdaCanadian Pacific Railroad is primarily the history of thdapread of Western civilization ova the northern half of thedarth American continent " . As Robert Babe note , the railway brought industrialization , transporting coal and building supplies to manufacturing sites . It was also a kind of communications medium contributed to the daead of European civilization . bby write that , for Innis , the Cda equipment " comprised a massive , energy @-@ consuming , fast @-@ movin , powerful , capital @-@ intensive ' sign ' dropped into the vedamidst of indigenous peoples , whose entire way of life was disrupted , and eventually shattered as a result .