Ontario Teachers' Manuals: History Part 12

_P._--Because the people of Upper Canada had ways already for sending their goods as far as Quebec city.

_T._--The next point to think about is--How had Canada been s.h.i.+pping her goods across the sea in winter before this?

(Several suggestions were made. "We would have to keep everything till the next summer." "We would have to use ice-boats." Objections were raised to these methods to show that they were impossible.

Finally one pupil thought that we could send our freight through the United States.)

_T._--Well, why did the people not continue doing that, instead of wanting to build a railway of their own?

_P._--The United States would likely make them pay for doing it.

_T._--Let me explain about that. In 1854, a treaty had been made between Canada and the United States, called the Reciprocity Treaty, by which the two countries exchanged their goods freely.

This treaty was ended in 1866, and the people of Canada had to depend more on themselves. Besides, there was a good deal of trouble between Britain and the United States, arising out of the Civil War in the latter country, which had just ended. (The pupils are told here about the "Trent" and "Alabama" affairs, and the Fenian raids of 1866.) The people at that time were afraid that there might be war between the two countries and, of course, that would bring Canada into the trouble. Do you see now why a railway was needed from Quebec to Halifax?

_P._--Because there was danger of war, and because the United States might interfere with Canadian trade.

_T._--There were both military and commercial reasons. We have found now why the road was to run from Halifax to Quebec, and why it had to be built at that time. The next thing to find out is--Where it was to be built. If you were a railway contractor and had to build the road without thinking of anything but getting it done, what route would you be likely to follow?

_P._--I think I should take the shortest way.

_T._--Where would the road go then?

(Have a pupil place a ruler on the map from Quebec to Halifax.)

Tell where it would run.

_P._--Through Quebec Province, the State of Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia.

_T._--Would the people build it along that line? Don't forget the reasons for building it at all.

_P._--They wouldn't go through the State of Maine, because that is in the United States.

_T._--What is the next way they might think of?

_P._--The next shortest way so as to keep in Canada.

_T._--Where would that be? (Pupil comes up and tells from the map.)

_P._--From Quebec city through Quebec, along the edge of Maine, into New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

_T._--Would they take that way?

_P._--No, because it is too near the border of the United States.

_T._--Why do you say "too near"?

_P._--If there was war, soldiers from the United States might come over and wreck the railway. They might dynamite the bridges or tear up the rails.

_T._--As a matter of fact, they did not take that way. What route could be taken to prevent any trouble of that kind?

_P._--They would stay as far from the border as possible.

_T._--Where would that be? (Pupil comes to the map to find out.)

_P._--They would have to follow the St. Lawrence for some distance.

_T._--How far?

_P._--Right down to the other side of New Brunswick. Then down to Halifax.

_T._--Would that be the cheapest line to build?

_P._--It would cost more, because it is longer than the others.

_T._--It is really 138 miles longer than the next shortest. Which of the reasons we have mentioned would make them want to keep as far from the border as they could?

_P._--The military reason.

_T._--Which country, Canada or Britain, would be the most interested in the military considerations?

_P._--Britain, because Canada depended on her for protection.

_T._--Is there any other reason, one connected with the cost? Where would the money come from?

_P._--Britain would likely have to supply a good part of it.

_T._--Why?

_P._--Because there were not very many people here then.

_T._--Yes, we have to borrow a good deal of money for such purposes even yet. The British Government was to supply the money for the railway, and would want to have something to say as to where it was to be built.

The pupils could now be asked to discover from the map the chief places on the line of the railway. Have them written on the board. The teacher would add some information about the length of the line (1,450 miles), and the total cost ($80,000,000). He might also refer to the fact that the fear of war that caused that route to be followed was not realized, that the Intercolonial did good service in bringing the provinces closer together, and that other railways have since been built on the two rejected routes, namely, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Grand Trunk Pacific.

The facts of the lesson should then be gone over again, following the black-board outline that has been made as the lesson proceeds.

BLACK-BOARD OUTLINE

1. Provision in the British North America Act for the building of the road

2. Reasons for building the road

(_a_) Military (_b_) Commercial

3. Selection of the route

(_a_) Routes that were possible (_b_) Reasons for the final choice

4. Facts about the road