Last Spike (Grand Trunk Pacific Railway) facts for kids
The Last Spike of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a really important moment in Canadian history! It happened on April 7, 1914, near Fort Fraser, British Columbia, Canada. This event marked the completion of a huge railway project that connected Canada from east to west. It was a big deal because building this railway was incredibly difficult and took many years of hard work.
Contents
Building a Giant Railway
Starting the Grand Trunk Pacific
Construction on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway in British Columbia began in 1908. This part of the railway was one of the toughest sections ever built in North America. It cost a huge amount of money, about $112,000 for every mile of track!
Challenges of Construction
Workers built the railway from two different directions. One team started from Prince Rupert and worked east. Another team began in Winnipeg, Manitoba and moved west. In British Columbia, the railway builders faced many challenges. They had to deal with extremely difficult land, very bad weather, and not enough workers.
For example, a section of track about 186 miles long, from Prince Rupert to Hazelton, took four years to finish (from 1908 to 1912). Part of this was because an 80-mile section near the Kitselas Canyon needed 12 million pounds of explosives! These explosives were used to blast three tunnels through solid rock.
Financial Hurdles and Tragedies
Building the railway through northern British Columbia cost much more than the company expected. They also had problems with other companies that owned land in towns like Hazelton and Fort George. These issues cut even deeper into the company's money.
Then, in 1912, the Grand Trunk Pacific faced a sad event. Their general manager, Charles Melville Hays, sadly passed away when the famous ship Titanic sank. Despite all these problems and tragedies, the railway was finally completed. This meant that Charles Hays' big dream for the railway came true.
The Last Spike Ceremony
The Big Day Arrives
On April 7, 1914, the Grand Trunk Pacific Last Spike ceremony took place. It was held about 1.5 kilometers east of Fort Fraser, BC. This spot is about 135 kilometers west of what is now Prince George.
Many important people from the railway company came for the ceremony. The president of the Grand Trunk Pacific, Edson Joseph Chamberlin, and the chairman of the board, Alfred Waldron Smithers, traveled all the way from Winnipeg and Montreal. Other important officials came from Prince Rupert.
A Race to the Finish
The ceremony started with an exciting race! The track-laying teams from the eastern and western ends of the railway competed. The very last mile of track had been left unfinished. Each team was timed to see who could complete their last half-mile the fastest. The eastern crew won the race by just a few minutes! After that, the western crew put down the very last rail.
Driving the Final Spike
Edson Chamberlain had the honor of driving the last spike. It wasn't a fancy golden spike, but a regular black iron one. After he finished, he gave special gold watches to the leaders of each crew. The last wooden tie (the piece of wood under the rail) had "Point of Completion April 7th, 1914" painted on it.
After the ceremony, that last 11-foot section of rail was removed. It was then cut into smaller pieces, polished, and engraved. These special pieces were given to railway officials to use as paperweights. One of these unique paperweights is now kept at the Prince George Railway and Forestry Museum.
