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Today is National Railway Day, which was first recognized by the Government of Canada in 2010.
Today commemorates the moment the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway on this date in 1885 (in Craigellachie, B.C.), and marks the fulfillment of the promise to British Columbia that gave momentum to the Confederation that created our great nation.
On behalf of myself and the tens of thousands of railway workers in Canada and those who went before us, I would like to remind Canadians of this occasion and hope that our contribution to Canada will not go unnoticed this Nov. 7.
National Railway Day has political, environmental and economic aspects. Our government leveraged the railway business to create this nation and it was once one of the most important industries in our history, touching the lives of many people in Canada.
We continue to move people, resources and finished goods efficiently. Personally, I think that rail will eventually prove to be the least environmentally-damaging mode of transportation available, and with advancing technology, the trains will be prominently positioned to make greenhouse gas reduction policies a reality while continuing to move our economy.
Happy National Railway Day.