author
Intercolonial Railway (Canada)
A vivid account of the railway that helped bind early Canada together, written by one of the engineers most closely tied to the project. It opens a window onto nation-building, surveying, and the immense practical work behind a line that linked the Maritimes with central Canada.
1 Audiobook
Summer Provinces by the Sea A description of the Vacation Resources of Eastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces of Canada, in the territory served by the Canadian Government Railways
by Intercolonial Railway (Canada), Prince Edward Island Railway
About the author
Best known as an engineer, surveyor, and inventor, Sandford Fleming played a central role in several major Canadian railway projects in the 19th century. He worked on the Intercolonial Railway and later on the early development of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and he is also widely remembered for helping promote the idea of standard time.
His writing on the Intercolonial grows out of direct experience rather than distant commentary. That gives the book a grounded, documentary feel: it follows the planning, route choices, construction, and political importance of the railway that connected the Atlantic provinces with the rest of the young Dominion.
Beyond railways, Fleming had an unusually wide impact on Canadian public life. He designed Canada's first postage stamp, contributed to mapping and surveying, and became an important public figure in science and engineering as well as transportation.