386 Our North Land. 



to the world, than its natural channel of communication — the 

 Hudson's Bay Route — was discovered and made known also. Mr. 

 Fleming had a good appreciation of the extent and importance of 

 the country ; and he also made a sound estimate of the drawback 

 to which I have referred ; but to-day that drawback vanishes, and 

 we find that the great territories of Assiniboia, Alberta, Saskatche- 

 wan and Athabaska, as also the Province of Manitoba, are as near 

 to Liverpool as the Province of Ontario. 



My map of the Dominion, presented herewith, showing future 

 possible railway lines in the North-West, has already earned for me 

 the title of being a " great builder of railways — on paper ; " and 

 yet I find that as far back as 1878, Mr. Fleming had in his mind a 

 much more comprehensive system of railways for the North-West 

 than I advance on the map referred to. He said: — "The map 

 which I have prepared shows the possible position of the leading 

 railway lines which, based on the information we have recently 

 acquired, may be projected for the future service of the country. 

 In the west, lines are shown to reach the Pacific tide-water at Port 

 Simpson, at Burrard Inlet, and at Bute Inlet, with an extension to 

 Vancouver Island, running to Esquimalt, Alberni, Fort Rupert and 

 Quatsino. In the interior, the Bow River, Saskatchewan, Atha- 

 baska, Peace River, Lake LaBiche, Swan River, Assiniboine, and Red 

 River districts are proposed to be served by main lines or branches; 

 while to the east, lines are carried to Port Nelson and Moose Factory. 

 Of course this is a mere projection, and it is presented to illustrate 

 the comprehensive view which, in my opinion, should be taken of the 

 question. All these lines, or modifications of them, I consider eligible 

 for territorial roads; not that they should be built all at once, or even 

 all at once surveyed, but simply to complete the scheme of great 

 thoroughfares which, in course of time, may be established and 

 used. They may at once be designated territorial road lines, and 

 when they come to be surveyed they should be laid out with great 

 care and forecast: a territorial road being understood to mean 

 simply a railway in an incipient stage, capable of being used as a 

 means of intercourse at all stages, its highest condition of develop- 

 ment being a means of steam communication." 



