First CPR Train Reaches Brandon

On July 6, 1881, the Canadian Pacific Railway ran its inaugural train from Winnipeg westward to Brandon, Manitoba, marking a key milestone in the push to connect eastern Canada with the Pacific coast. This 133-mile journey demonstrated the viability of the prairie route despite challenging terrain and supply issues. Key figures included engineer Sandford Fleming and contractor Andrew Onderdonk. The event boosted settler confidence and economic development in the West, foreshadowing the full transcontinental completion in 1885. It highlighted engineering feats like wooden trestles that would later be upgraded to steel.