Near Craigellachie in Columbia-Shuswap, British Columbia — Canada’s West Coast (North America)

The Last Spike

B.C. Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure via Flickr (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0), June 15, 2016

1. The Last Spike Marker

Inscription. A nebulous dream was a reality: an iron ribbon crossed Canada from sea to sea. Often following the footsteps of early explorers, nearly 3000 miles of steel rail pushed across vast prairies, cleft lofty mountain passes, twisted through canyons, and bridged a thousand streams.

Here on November 7, 1885, a plain iron spike welded East to West.

Erected by British Columbia Department of Recreation and Conservation.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical date for this entry is November 7, 1885.

Location. 50° 58.529′ N, 118° 43.435′ W. Marker is near Craigellachie, British Columbia, in Columbia-Shuswap. It can be reached from Trans-Canada Highway (Provincial Highway 1) 0.8 kilometers north of Lybarger Road, on the right when traveling north. Marker is in The Last Spike historic site. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Craigellachie BC V0E 2J0, Canada. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the BC Interior

and in Thompson-Okanagan.

Globally, it is in North America,

in the Rocky Mountains,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony.

Other nearby markers. At least one other marker is within walking distance of this marker: Eagle Pass (a few steps from this marker).

More about this marker. The site is part of a highway rest area that also features a memorial cairn, a life-size reproduction of Alexander J. Ross' iconic photograph, and a seasonal gift shop.

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It is also next to an active Canadian Pacific Railway line.

Also see . . .
1. Last spike (Canadian Pacific Railway). Wikipedia entry on the symbolic moment, which featured not one but two last spikes. (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

2. The Last Spike. The Canadian Encyclopedia entry on the event, which historians consider the moment when national unity was realized. (Submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.)

cmh2315fl via Flickr (CC BY-NC 2.0), August 18, 2010

2. The Last Spike Marker

The Last Spike image. Click for full size.

Alexander J. Ross via Library and Archives Canada (public domain), November 7, 1885

3. The Last Spike

Railway financier Donald Alexander Smith drives the ceremonial last spike to complete Canada's first transcontinental railway.

Credits. This page was last revised on May 25, 2022. It was originally submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 745 times since then and 86 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on December 10, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 2. submitted on May 25, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. 3. submitted on December 11, 2021, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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