Calgary and Edmonton Railway

Calgary and Edmonton Railway. Alberta's History. , In 1879, it was assumed by many that the Canadian Pacific Railway would be built north-west across the prairies and pass Fort Edmonton on its way through the Yellowhead Pass. A small land rush took place about the fort, and the Edmonton Settlement was surveyed in 1881. By this time however, the CPR had decided to use the Kicking Horse Pass instead, skirting Fort Calgary rather than Edmonton. When the railway arrived at Calgary in 1883, the community quickly expanded while Edmonton's growth tailed off. Calgary soon became the largest centre in Canada between Winnipeg and Vancouver. , However, there was enough population and business north of Calgary to attract interest from railway developers, and the Calgary and Edmonton Railway Company was incorporated in 1890. Soon work began on a rail line connecting the two centres. On 10 August 1891, the first train reached the community of South Edmonton. Here, a townsite was subdivided on land which the C and E had acquired. In 1899, the community was incorporated as the Town of Strathcona. In 1907, with a population of over 3,500, Strathcona became Alberta's sixth incorporated city. , The C and E also helped to open up the fertile farmland of north-central Alberta for settlement. As settlers poured in to take up land, communities such as Olds, Red Deer and Lacombe developed. Many of these new centres had their origins as 'sidings.' One such community, known as Siding 16 in 1891, was incorporated as the Village of Wetaskiwin eight years later. Soon after it had grown enough to be declared a city. Between these larger centres, smaller communities such as Millet also grew up along the rail line. These communities provided valuable services including stores, grain elevators, and other businesses for the local farm population.