The Romance of Transportation in Canada (1952)

• 63%
• 1952
• Animation
• History
• Colin Low

The romantic notion that Canadians have with transportation began with the arrival of the first settlers in the 16th century, they who were faced with getting around this new, uncharted and rugged land. The economic benefits of trade resulted in the creation of more permanent transportation links. With the increasing demand for trade came the increase in the transportation infrastructure, both in the frequency and the size of the conveyances. As most of this transportation was water based, canals and locks were constructed in the 18th century to make travel easier. Settlers were also marking out land trails for the movement of staples between settlements. Both land and water based transportation changed from natural power (oxen for land, wind on the seas, and human power and currents on the rivers) to mechanized and eventually motorized forms. Despite the obstacle of the Rocky Mountains, the construction of the transnational railroad in the 19th century revolutionized travel within the country. The development of the internal combustion engine further opened up travel. What will be the next transportation frontier in Canada?