An Empire

Canadian Pacific built an empire in the new country it had played such an integral part in building. The CPR sought to be everything to everybody providing passenger travel and comforts by rail and water, both lake and ocean, on land and eventually in the air. Hotels and resorts were established in the Rockies and elsewhere across Canada. Sleeping cars were operated on many passenger trains in contrast to American roads that let other companies such as Pullman provide this service to its customers. So too did the CPR retain all the rights to express package shipping (Dominion Express Co.) and to telegraph messages, again unlike its US counterparts who let other companies do it. Van Horne would have none of that; the CPR was to get all of the money for these services along with having better control.

Lake boats were operated at a number of points including the Great Lakes, Kootenay Lakes, BC Coast and the Bay of Fundy. Ocean ships travelled the Atlantic to Europe and the Pacific to the Orient, both for freight and passengers.

Canadian Pacific was a pioneer in air travel beginning in the north bush lands and eventually on many International routes to Europe and the Far East.

Highway trucking became an important aspect of freight handling, both package and truckload. Canadian Pacific Express handled smaller shipments all across Canada as a faster service than the railway's own LCL in box cars. Smith Transport and other trucking companies were taken over and expanded into a major system. Later, CanPar a small package service was set up the same as UPS.

Vast landholdings in the west were sold off decades ago to settlers but other land included timber and minerals. Logging was to be an important part of the CPR empire for many decades to follow as was minerals such as lead (Cominco) coal, oil and gas.

Eventually, it would all vanish, the ships, planes, trucks, and even telegrams as changes came to the CPR and Canada. The CPR decided it could no longer be all things to all people and instead had to concentrate on a few things and do them well. In the end the CPR empire was broken up into separate companies, what was left of them. Conglomerates were old fashioned and out of date with the modern investment world. The remaining natural resources were separated. The hotels and resorts were separated and later renamed Fairmont. The railway returned to its roots, once again being named Canadian Pacific Railway after a period of time being known as CP Rail. Even the beaver emblem came back to replace the outmoded Multimark. It should never have been discarded! Canada's emblem, the beaver is known as a hard working industrious animal, so too was the CPR hard working and industrious. It still is.

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