Introduction (continued)

Figure 3 Quebec Bridge, 1937. (CN000157)

Figure 4 A wooden railway trestle, Edson, Alberta, Canada. (CN003109)

      Major engineering works, such as the bridges that spanned the St. Lawrence (Fig. 3) and the trestles in western Canada (Fig. 4) were tangible symbols of modern Canada's ability to overcome natural obstacles and nature itself. Stations, railway hotels and railway shops set new standards in architecture and provided focal points for urban growth and development (Fig. 5, Fig. 6, and Fig. 7). Yet the granting of special privileges, including monopoly rights, by government and the lack of regulations controlling corporations attracted public discontent. Many Canadians saw the railways as secretive, greedy, and corrupt. During much of the period prior to the Second World War, few Canadians' lives were untouched by railway technology. In short, railway technology played an important role in shaping the character of modern Canada.