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The Canadian Northern Pacific Railway (CNoPR) was incorporated in British Columbia in 1910 as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR). Its purpose was to build the main line of the CNoR from the Alberta-British Columbia border in the Yellowhead Pass to Vancouver, and to receive benefits from the British Columbia Government. The Company existed only on paper, and never operated any rolling stock lettered "Canadian Northern Pacific Railway." As far as employees and the public were concerned the CNoPR was the CNoR. The line was completed in February 1915 at Basque, B.C.(1,2,3)

The CNoPR was connected at its eastern extremity to the Canadian Northern Alberta Railway (CNoAR), also incorporated in 1910. The CNoAR ran from the Alberta-British Columbia boundary to Trelle Junction on the Edmonton, and Slave Lake Railway - another wholly owned CNoR subsidiary. Trelle Junction was 7.9 miles northwest of the CNoR Edmonton station. Construction commenced at Trelle Junction in 1910. The track laying machine passed into British Columbia in November 1913, but the line was not officially opened until October 1915.

The first express passenger train service and time freight train service between Edmonton and Vancouver commenced in late November 1915 (4).

In order to complete these and other railway lines the CNoR had to borrow money from the Dominion Government. As a result of these transactions the Government discharged the CNoR Board of Directors in September 1918, and replaced the members with Government appointees. Around about this time the CNoR became popularly named Canadian National Railways (CNR) but this name was not legalized until October 1922 (1, 2).

1. A.B. Hopper, T. Kearny, "Canadian National Railways Synoptical History of Organization, Capital Stock, Funded Debt and Other General Information as of December 32, 1960," Canadian National Railways, Montreal, 1962. 2. R. Dorman, "Statutory History of the Steam and Electric Railways of Canada, 1836 t 1937," King's Printer, Ottawa, 1938. 3. C. Andreae, "Lines of Country: An Atlas of Railway and Waterway History in Canada," Boston Mills Press, Erin, ON, 1997. ISBN 1550461338. 4. Edmonton Bulletin, November 23, 24 and 26, 1915.