Anyone who has had occasion to travel on VIA Rail's oldest
trans-continental train 'The Ocean' between Halifax and Montreal
might wonder why the original route of the Intercolonial Railway
took such a round-about course through northern New Brunswick.
The answer lies in the fear nineteenth century Canadian and
British politicians had that the Americans might attempt to seize
control of British North America in a winter attack. With the St.
Lawrence river frozen solid, reinforcements from Britain could not
reach the fortress at Quebec. Hence, the building of the defensive
rail line, following 'Major Robinson's Path', a much overlooked
facet of the railway's history.
Built for War: Canada's Intercolonial Railway tells the story of
Canada's first attempt to assert its sovereignty, and how the
railway, built with military and economic objectives in mind,
served its purpose so well.iBuilt for War is Underwoodis third work
of railway history and his largest to date.i o The Weekly Press,
Oct. 2005 iConventional history suggests that the railway was
something egiveni to the Maritime provinces as a condition of
Confederation to improve the regionis economy. Instead, Underwood
argues that the rasilway was a military necessity for defending
central Canada from any invasion by the United States during the
winter months.i o The Charlottetown Guardian, Nov. 2005
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