Who drove the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and when?

Ottawa promised a railway that would reach the West Coast, and on that promise British Columbia agreed to join Canada in 1871. The last spike went in on November 7, 1885. Donald Smith, later Lord Strathcona, drove it. He was born in Scotland and directed the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). Finishing the line gave the young country a powerful symbol of unity. Years of heroic work lay behind it, and the CPR's "ribbons of steel" turned a national dream into reality.

British and American investors financed the railway. It was built by both European and Chinese labour. After the work was finished, Chinese workers faced discrimination. One example was the Head Tax, an entry fee charged to people because of their race. The Government of Canada apologized for that discriminatory policy in 2006. Once complete, the line carried settlers and goods into the West and tied the country together.