Sir SandFord Fleming - The Knight Of Time
Wide open country
Montreal, February 9, 1865 To the Honorable Wm. McDougall
Provincial Secretary, Canada
In conducting this exploration or research, […] I have mainly applied myself to the study of the best ways to overcome or avoid the obstacles that had been hitherto thought of as great or insurmountable.
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When he came to Canada, Sandford Fleming discovered an immense, unsettled country with extremely varied terrain and where everything needed to be built… and measured. What a challenge for a surveyor! Surveying involves measuring land to determine property lines. Sandford Fleming first worked as a surveyor in cities and drew maps of urban areas.
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Then, as a railway engineer, he surveyed large areas of Canada in order to choose the best land for railway lines. Experience and sound judgement were needed, for even a small mistake might have expensive consequences.
Some parts of the country – particularly the Rocky Mountains – were as complex as a jigsaw puzzle.
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Canadian engineers such as Fleming rose to these challenges so brilliantly that they became well known during this period as experts in building railways.
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