Travelogue. Travel film of sights from a train trip across Canada, including footage of Nova Scotia, St. John, St Andrew's, Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara Falls, Hamilton, Georgian Bay, a Great Lakes steamboat, Fort William, Kenora, Winnipeg, Regina, Saskatoon, Bassano Dam, Calgary, Edmonton, Banff, and Lake Louise. B.C. footage includes: the Spiral Tunnels at Field (with train passing through); Field; open-topped railway observation car with sightseeing passengers; Glacier; Mt. Sir Donald; Albert Canyon; train en route in Fraser Canyon; Vancouver (street scenes, Hotel Vancouver, Stanley Park, English Bay bathers); CPR steamers en route to and at Victoria; Legislative Buildings; Empress Hotel.

Series consists of 545 photographs of the Canadian Pacific Railway (C.P.R.), thought to be taken by Richard or Hannah Maynard. In 1880-1881, Richard Maynard was hired to document the construction of the C.P.R. but photos within this series may have been taken at later dates or by other photographers. Images depict trains ("rolling stock"); views of locations along the construction route, including rivers, bridges, and mountains; tracks and construction in progress; wrecks following accidents; snowsheds; and portraits of workers.

Actuality. "'This piece of scenery was taken in the Albert Canyon on the line of the Canadian Pacific [Railway], and is considered to be one of the finest views in the Rocky Mountains. The chief big features of these pictures are the towering cliffs which rise straight up thousands of feet on either side, and between which runs a river, adding materially to the interest of the view, and passing through a tunnel hewn out of solid rock which can be seen from a distance of nearly a mile during the time of approach of the train, forms a very interesting climax to this picture.' Mountain peaks, stands of timber and [telegraph] poles alongside the tracks are all visible from the camera mounted on the front of the train." (Colin Browne)