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 CNHE - CONSTRUCTION OF THE TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY Posted by:  Bon Echo
N 47° 33.694 W 052° 42.723
22T E 371212 N 5268991
Constructed over a span of 21 years and covering almost 8000kms.
Waymark Code: WM10NCN
Location: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Date Posted: 06/01/2019
Views: 4
Located in front of St. John's City Hall, unofficially considered to be Mile 0 of the Trans-Canada Highway. The plaque recognizes the highway not as a site, but as an event - the act of constructing the highway. The plaque reads:
CONSTRUCTION OF THE
TRANS-CANADA HIGHWAY
This highway’s completion between 1949 and 1970 was a great feat of engineering, linking the provinces of this vast country. From St. John’s to Victoria, workers bridged waterways, blasted through rock in the Rocky Mountains and the Canadian Shield, and paved 7,821 kilometres of road. A ribbon of asphalt winding its way through the Canadian landscape and consciousness, it boosted the economy, facilitated tourism and trade, transformed roadside communities, and enhanced the ability of Canadians to travel. The Trans-Canada Highway has inspired countless family road trips and illustrates the importance of the automobile in Canadian society.
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LA CONSTRUCTION DE LA
ROUTE TRANSCANADIENNE
La construction de cette route de 1949 à 1970 est un grand exploit d’ingénierie, unissant ce vaste pays. De St. John’s à Victoria, les ouvriers ont franchi des voies d’eau, dynamité le roc dans les Rocheuses et le Bouclier canadien et asphalté 7 821 kilomètres de routes. La route Transcanadienne, ruban de bitume sillonnant le paysage et l’imaginaire canadiens, a stimulé l’économie, a favorisé le tourisme et le commerce, a transformé les collectivités qui la jalonnent et a facilité les déplacements des Canadiens. Elle a inspiré les voyages d’innombrables familles et illustre l’importance de l’automobile à la société canadienne. |
The following information about the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway has been copied from the Parks Canada website:
Built between 1949 and 1970, the 7,821 kilometres long Trans-Canada Highway was a complex and expensive undertaking, which resulted in numerous major engineering achievements. It boosted the country’s economy by strengthening the road construction industry, improving the transportation of Canadian manufactured goods, increasing inter-provincial trade and enhancing the ability of Canadians to travel. It also had a direct impact on the economy of communities along its route which became better connected both regionally and nationally. By linking the country physically from the East to the West, the Trans-Canada Highway has enduring symbolic value for Canadians.
The Trans-Canada also had a significant symbolic value for Canadians, similar to that of the transcontinental railway. By conquering Canada’s vast expanse, it ensured the triumph of automobile culture and made a lasting impression on the Canadian imagination. For many Canadians, this highway became the road of freedom and adventure. For John Diefenbaker (Canada’s Prime Minister from 1957-1963), the Trans-Canada was a milestone which increased Canadian’s sense of oneness and instilled a renewed sense of national unity.
Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/parks-canada/news/2016/02/the-construction-of-the-trans-canada-highway.html, Accessed June 2019
Classification: National Historic Event
Province or Territory: Newfoundland & Labrador
Location - City name/Town name: St. John's
Link to Parks Canada entry (must be on www.pc.gc.ca): [Web Link]
Link to HistoricPlaces.ca: Not listed
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