Steamships and Canals. There are
several Canadian transatlantic steamship lines,
notably the Allan, the Dominion and the
Canadian Pacific. The Canadian Pacific
steamers ply to China, Japan and Australia.
There are also important lines on the lakes
and rivers.
The magnificent St. Lawrence is the greatest water-way in the world. Canals have been built wherever the rapids obstruct navigation. Canada has spent nearly one hundred millions of dollars on her canals. On the Welland Canal alone (24 miles long) $28,000,000 have been spent.
The St. Lawrence has been so deepened as to allow the largest ocean steamers to sail up to Montreal. Above Montreal vessels of fourteen feet draught can ascend to Lake Erie, and from Lake Erie to Lake Superior 20 feet of water are available. By this route a vessel can load at an upper-lake port to over fourteen feet, lighter to this draught at the east end of Lake Erie (Port Colborne), and carry the remainder of her cargo to Montreal, 1,230 miles from Fort William.
Water-Powers. Canada's water-powers are certain to play a tremendous part in her industrial development. Many industries are now supplied with electrical power. It has been well said that the Laurentian Highland constitutes “a gathering ground for many large and almost innumerable small rivers and streams which, in the sources of power they offer in their descent to the lower adjacent levels, are likely to prove of greater and more permanent value to the industries of the country than an extensive coal field.”
At Sault Ste. Marie the largest pulp-mill in Canada is operated by electricity locally developed. One hundred and seventy-five thousand horse-power has been developed. See Niagara Falls, at which place the ultimate development of electrical power will reach 425,000 H. P. At that point many millions of dollars have been spent by the three power-companies. The city of Toronto, more than 80 miles distant, gets its supply from one of them. Within 50 miles of Ottawa there is an available water power energy of 900,000 H. P. That at Niagara Falls is six times as great.
Schools. The provinces control the schools, and each of them as to system and methods and machinery generally is working out its own ideal. The Royal Military College at Kingston, Ontario, is a Dominion institution. All the others are provincial or controlled by local corporations. Alberta, one of the new provinces, has made provision for a university of its own. McGill University, Montreal, is doing collegiate work in British Columbia. The elementary schools (public schools, common schools) are free all over Canada. Every province makes generous provision for their upkeep. There are more than 20,000 free public schools in Canada, and about 1,250,000 pupils attend them.
For the secondary schools (high schools, and some of these having a certain number of teachers who are specialists and a certain specified strong equipment, are called collegiate institutes) a fee is charged in some instances. Not a few of these even are free. In Ontario and Quebec especially there are several residential schools modelled after the great public schools in England (such as Harrow, Rugby, Eton) with large attendance and doing most useful work.
Canadians are proud of their universities. McGill and Toronto, for example, are well and favorably known the world over. These and other universities are specially referred to elsewhere in these volumes. The sketches of the provinces contain fuller details as to their educational work.
The educational work done by the five Dominion experimental farms is of great value and interest. The central farm is located at Ottawa (the capital); two are in the northwest (at Brandon and Indian Head); one at Agassiz (British Columbia); and one at Nappan (Nova Scotia). Specialists carry on experiments in all branches of agriculture, the results being published in bulletin form. During the last few years seeds and specimens have been sent out through the mails to about 200,000 farmers. Less than 15 per cent. of the total population of all Canada is illiterate. In 1910 $27,800,000 were spent for purposes of education, and there were 1,289,000 pupils registered.
Population. Canada now has a population of over eight millions. Two and one-half millions live in Ontario; over two millions in Quebec; nearly a million in the maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island); over 1,300,000 in Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the territories; and nearly 400,000 in British Columbia.
History. The territories which now constitute the Dominion of Canada came under the British flag at various times, some by settlement and others by conquest or cession. Nova Scotia (Acadia) was discovered by the Cabots, in the service of King Henry VII, in 1497. The colony of Halifax was founded in 1749. By the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) Acadia and the Hudson Bay Territory were acknowledged to be British territory. The Hudson Bay Company's charter, conferring right of government over the territory now known as the provinces of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, was granted in 1670. The old French colony of Canada was surrendered by the capitulation of Montreal, signed September 8, 1760, and with Prince Edward Island and part of the present province of New Brunswick, was formally ceded to Great Britain by
