Opening the Hudson's Bay Route. 483 



The method of constructing this line would probably be to 

 commence at Winnipeg and work toward the 55th parallel north- 

 ward, and also at Churchill, and push towards the same point 

 southward. As soon as these construction parties would reach each 

 other the line would be opened, and that from the point mentioned 

 to Prince Albert could be commenced and pushed on to the end, 

 and ultimately to Battleford and to Calgary. At Prince Albert the 

 future settlements of the Athabaska and Peace River countries 

 would find access to the Hudson's Bay road over the Manitoba and 

 North-Western, which will no doubt be pushed forward through the 

 Pine River Pass at no very distant day, and at Battleford the same 

 advantages would be afforded the settlements round Edmonton and 

 the Upper North Saskatchewan by means of the proposed Manitoba 

 Central. 



Taking Winnipeg and Prince Albert as representative centres of 

 the Canadian North- West, and supposing the lines in question open 

 for traffic, in connection with the initial number of steamships, viz., 

 twenty, it is quite easy to calculate the time that would be occupied 

 in a trip from either place to Liverpool, and the capacity of the 

 route. One ship would be able to carry two hundred and fifty car 

 loads of freight, and twenty would carry five thousand car loads. 

 Each vessel, counting fifteen days for the voyage, or a round-trip 

 voyage a month, would be able to make, at the very least, six trips a 

 year, or transport one thousand five hundred car loads of freight each 

 from Churchill to Liverpool, or thirty thousand car loads, equal to 

 three hundred thousand tons of freight, annually. The cost of the 

 transportation of wheat from the fertile prairies to^Churchill would 

 be, say eight cents a bushel, and from Churchill to Liverpool about 

 seven cents a bushel, or fifteen cents a bushel from Manitoba to 

 Europe. Beef, pork and other products would be carried correspond- 

 ingly cheap, and these vessels returning would bring back to the 

 North-West, besides tea, sugar, coffee, fabrics and merchandise of all 

 kinds, immigrants at, say, twenty dollars a head or less. Each vessel 

 would be able to accommodate from five hundred to one thousand 

 every trip, or, say five thousand in six trips, or one hundred thousand 

 annually. 



