Canada East

                               Transportation

While the government invested somewhat in the development of the railway, it did not contribute to building or maintaining the province's roads. As a result, the road network was equally underdeveloped and in dreadful condition. In summer, rain turned the poorly maintained dirt roads into a sea of mud. The situation improved somewhat in winter, when frost smoothed the road surfaces. The condition of the roads was not the only problem, however. The number of roads between cities and towns was too small to allow for close relations between communities.

Maritime transportation, however, played a crucial role in the colony. The St. Lawrence linked the ports of Québec City and Montréal to the Great Lakes and to international markets. The Ottawa River connected western Quebec and eastern Ontario to the economic centres, while the Richelieu River provided a navigable route to New York.

Water ways were the main transportation route since obviously the roads needed some polishing. Canals, roads and railways were used as the most important transportation systems.
 

The St.Lawrence River has no port that is free of ice all year round. For half of the year, the goods must be transported on American railways through American territory. A railway through Canada East, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will provide an all-British route for trade and defence, which is the Grand Trunk Railway. Defence was necessary because there was danger that the Fenians will attack along the Canadian-American border south and east of Montreal.