An independent Canadian knowledge project

Focused and Verified

Canadian knowledge base

Search by keyword

Choose one keyword, or combine two. Broader keywords include their descendants.

Keywords: 1800–1899

Clear search
The Last Spike monument at Craigellachie, British Columbia, photographed in 2022; a modern memorial, not the famous 1885 group photograph.
CA-K054Economy & trade

The CPR’s last spike was driven in 1885

The Canadian Pacific Railway’s ceremonial last spike was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia, on 7 November 1885. Chinese workers made important contributions to the railway’s construction but are absent from the famous last-spike photograph.

Factual accuracy review: No recorded challenge

Contributor: Citizen.ca

Verified against cited sourcesVerified on 2026-10-26↗
Photo: Dietmar Rabich · Photo licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credit & context
A modern statue of Louis Riel at the Manitoba Legislative Grounds in Winnipeg; not a photograph of the Convention of Forty in 1870.
CA-K031Indigenous peoples & reconciliation

The Convention of Forty at Red River

In 1870, representatives of the English- and French-speaking Red River communities met in the Convention of Forty and agreed on demands to present to Ottawa. The convention declared a provisional government with Louis Riel as president.

Factual accuracy review: No recorded challenge

Contributor: Citizen.ca

Verified against cited sourcesVerified on 2026-10-26↗
Photo: Jay Friesen · Photo licence: CC BY-SA 4.0 · Credit & context