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Handout 1.2						Name: _______________________

Life and Times During the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway

What was Canada like during the time of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (GTPR)? 
What were the main events of the rise and fall of the GTPR?  

1.	Read the following Speeches from the Throne, as they appeared in the Canada Gazette. See: www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3030.4-e.html 

Opening of Parliament, 1903
Canada Gazette, Vol. XXXVII, Extra, October 24, 1903, pp. 1–4

Opening of Parliament, 1909
Canada Gazette, Vol. XLII, Extra, January 20, 1909, pp. 1–4
 
Opening of Parliament, 1914
Canada Gazette, Vol. XLVIII, Extra, August 22, 1914, pp. 611–612

Closing of Parliament, 1919
Canada Gazette, Vol. LIII, No. 20, November 15, 1919, pp. 1454–1455

2.	On a separate page, compare the economic, social and political events that were indicated in each speech. The timeline below is a suggestion of how the speeches may be classified.
   
TIMELINE

____________1903_________1909____________1914______________1919___
ECONOMIC:		*		*		         *				*
SOCIAL:		*		*		         *				*
POLITICAL:		*		*		         *				*

3.	As you compare the different events of each year, what observations can you make? What are the main events that occur during that period?  

4.	What was happening to the GTPR at the same time? Add the main events that mark the rise and fall of the GTPR to your timeline. Add additional dates as necessary. Use the sites listed in Activity Resources (www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/canada-gazette/035001-3030.1-e.html) to help you with your search.

5.	What overlap do you notice? Is there a relationship between the economic, social, and political events in Canada in 1903, 1909, and 1919 and the GTPR?