Because of Canada’s size, a railroad from one side to the other is important for many reasons. In Alberta it was important because it brought thousands of people to the west to live and work.
Between 1900 and 1918 over 20,000 miles of railway track were laid down in Canada. In Alberta alone over 4,657 miles were built between 1900 and 1930. Working conditions on the railroads were terrible, and many people died trying to build them.
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