Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 June 1901 — UNEXPLORED CANADA. [ARTICLE]

UNEXPLORED CANADA.

Practically One-third of the Dominion ti Yet an Unknown Country. 'United States Consul Seyfert, at Stratford, says, In a report to the Department of State, that the Director of the Geological Survey. of Canada, In his last report, makes the amazing statement that practically nothing Is known of one-third of the Dominion. He quotes as follows from the report: “There are more than 1,250,000 square miles of unexplored lands in Canada. The entire area of the Dominion Is computed at 3,450,257 square miles, consequently one-third of this country has yet been untraveled by the explorer. Exclusive of the inhospitable detached Arctic portions, 954,000 square miles Is for all practical purposes entirely unknown.” Consul Seyfert says that the Canadian Government, during the past year, has made a great effort in the direction of exploring and developing this vast territory. It has recognized the fact that railroads are essential to the development of a new country, and liberal Inducements for their construction are made by granting millions of acres of land as a bonus. A grant to the proposed Manitoulin and North Shore Railway of 2,500,000 acres has been made, and the indications are that during the next five years at least 5000 miles of new railroad will be completed throughout the Dominion, most of which will run through the unexplored wilderness. “The mineral wealth of this unknown region,” says Consul Seyfert, “is undoubtedly Immense, and perhaps almost Inexhaustible; while the dense forests of hard wood, now of so little value, will, when brought to the markets of the world, become a source of large profit”