Northern BC, at the beginning of the 20^th century, was a land that had already known economic development, ethnic diversification, resource exploitation and socio-religious evolution: the gold rush and the work of the missionaries having effectively introduced these realities in the 19th century. What the early decades of the 20^th century brought to Northern BC was a concerted push towards integrated economic and political development and mass re-settlement by immigrants. Dreamers, adventurers, entrepreneurs and politicians alike reveled in the endless possibilities they believed the North could provide. Luckily, this dynamic period in Northern BC history was often captured in photographs – a legacy which now offers the rest of us, a glimpse into this exciting past!

PGRFM - Grand Trunk Pacific Collection

Accession No. 2002.1.21.31

The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a 4,800 km system with a main line that ran from Winnipeg, Manitoba to Prince Rupert, B.C. Incorporated in 1903, the railway was built with the intent to compete against the Canadian Pacific Railway for the profitable traffic developing in western Canada. Construction of both railways began in 1905. The G.T.P. line was completed April 9, 1914 with a western route from Winnipeg to Edmonton, Alberta, through the Rocky Mountains using the Yellowhead Pass, and then following the Fraser and Skeena Rivers to Prince Rupert. To encourage passenger traffic to and from the railway, the G.T.P. purchased steamships and provided a service from the port of Prince Rupert along the Pacific Coast to Vancouver, Victoria, Seattle, and Alaska. However, the high level of traffic that the Railway expected never developed. The lack of revenue, along with the high cost of construction led the G.TP into bankruptcy shortly after the outbreak of World War I. The Federal Government assumed control of the railway in 1919, and it was eventually incorporated into the CN system.