The Development of Canada's Pacific Gateway in the Age of Steam Globalization 1871-1939

The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1886 made British Columbia's coast Canada's Pacific Gateway. Meanwhile, global trade boomed and growing marine traffic was supported by the systematic charting of the intricately indented British Columbia coastline, improved port infrastructure, and the creation of ship repair facilities. The opening of the Panama Canal in 1914 also resulted in a major boost to the Pacific Gateway. Vancouver became the dominant BC port and competed with eastern Canada for exports. This paper examines the main traffic flows through the Pacific Gateway and the development of its ports between 1871 and the start of the Second World War.