>22 Our North Land. 



wide, and comes to an end where alluvial soil is rapidly forming, 

 carrying the prairie country still further to the north. 



Not far above the Forks, on the North Saskatchewan, is Prince 

 Albert, and a little way farther is Fort Carleton, and, far above that, 

 Battleford, at the mouth of Battle River, and still farther, Edmon- 

 ton, are reached. In the neighbourhood of Prince Albert and 

 Carleton, there are thriving settlements, and the people in that 

 vicinity, alive to their great future, are already agitating for the 

 Hudson's Bay route. On the accompanying Dominion map, it will 

 be observed that a line is drawn from Calgary, on the Canadian 

 Pacific to Churchill, through Battleford and Prince Albert. This line 

 will join the proposed Winnipeg and Hudson's Bay Railway, north 

 of Lake Winnipeg. 



I have already explained that the proposed Transcontinential 

 Short Line will serve the broad areas of the Athabaska and Peace 

 River countries, via the Hudson's Bay route ; and a glance at the 

 map will make it apparent that this proposed Calgary, Prince Albert 

 and Hudson's Bay Railway will, when constructed, become the great 

 artery of communication of the Saskatchewan Valleys with the out- 

 side world. The distances are altogether in favour of the route : — 



From Calgary to Winnipeg 900 miles. 



" " " Churchill (via Winnipeg) 1,550 " 



Difference 650 " 



From Calgary to Montreal (C.P.R.) 2,360 " 



" Montreal to Liverpool 3,000 " 



Total 5,360 «' 



From Calgary to Churchill 900 " 



" Churchill to Liverpool 2,940 " 



Total 3,840 " 



Difference in favour of Hudson's Bay route. . . 1,520 " 



From Prince Albert to Churchill 650 " 



" " " Winnipeg 650 " 



From Prince Albert to Liverpool (H.B. route) 3,590 " 



" " " (C.P.R, route) 4,932 " 



Difference in favour of Hudson's Bay route. . . . 1,342 " 



