The Governor General of Canada, Sir John Douglas Campbell (the Marquess of Lorne), declared the Canadian Pacific Railway an “official” railway after it was given royal assent on 15 February 1881. It incorporated the following day, 16 February 1881. Canadian Pacific Railway offers transportation services and supply chain expertise with access to 8 major ports & key markets across North America By the turn of the 20th century Canadian Pacific's network was largely complete. The Canadian Pacific Railway incorporated. These tracks carried steam-powered trains from coast to coast and stitched Canada together in its very early days. The Modern Canadian Pacific Railway. An incredible feat of engineering, the Canadian Pacific Railway opened up the wild western provinces to settlement and played a key role in the expansion of Confederation. Canada - Canada - The transcontinental railway: With the addition of British Columbia, Canada extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Its one notable addition was the 1916 purchase of the 149-mile Spokane International, linking Eastport, Idaho at the U.S. border with Spokane, Washington (the … To maintain that vast area and to ensure its independence from the United States, it was necessary to build a railway to the west coast.