The Early Years (continued)

      Before the 1880s, Canadian railways were a mix of imported practices and technology, relying mostly upon British (Fig. 11) and American experience (Fig. 12) and investment. However, Canadian climate, topography, and limited population substantially reduced profits and increased costs of building and running railways in this country. This situation bankrupted many railway projects before they could make a profit. Railways were businesses first and were intended to produce a profit and return on investment for their investors.