Mr. Speaker, author Pierre Berton always said the most pivotal day in Canadian history after July 1, 1867, was November 7, 1885. That is when the last spike was driven into the transcontinental main line of the Canadian Pacific Railway at Craigellachie, B.C., completing the world's first transcontinental railway under one management.
The importance of that date in the building of the Canadian nation has never been more eloquently summarized as on the plaque that marks the spot where the last spike was driven:
A nebulous dream was a reality; an iron ribbon crossed Canada from sea to sea. Often following the footsteps of early explorers, nearly 3,000 miles of steel rail pushed across vast prairies, cleft lofty mountain passes, twisted through canyons and bridged a thousand streams. Here on November 7, 1885, a plain iron spike welded East to West.
This Sunday marks the 125th anniversary of the last spike and I am proud the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages will recognize November 7 as National Railway Day. One hundred and twenty-five years ago an impossible dream became a reality, and a nation flourished and grew because it did.