<P> In 2008, Canadian Pacific partnered with the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games to present a "Spirit Train" tour that featured Olympic - themed events at various stops . Colin James was a headline entertainer . Several stops were met by protesters who argued that the games were slated to take place on stolen indigenous land . </P> <P> In 2017, CP ran the CP Canada 150 Train from Port Moody to Ottawa to celebrate Canada's 150th year since Confederation . The train stopped in 13 cities along its 3 week summer tour, offering a free block party and concert from Dean Brody, Kelly Prescott and Dallas Arcand . The heritage train drew out thousands to sign the special "Spirit of Tomorrow" car, where children were invited to write their wishes for the future of Canada and send them to Ottawa . Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and daughter Ella - Grace Trudeau also visited the train and rode it from Revelstoke to Calgary . </P> <P> Historically, Canadian Pacific operated several non-railway businesses . In 1971, these businesses were split off into the separate company Canadian Pacific Limited, and in 2001, that company was further split into five companies . CP no longer provides any of these services . </P> <P> The original charter of the CPR granted in 1881 provided for the right to create an electric telegraph and telephone service including charging for it . The telephone had barely been invented but telegraph was well established as a means of communicating quickly across great distances . Being allowed to sell this service meant the railway could offset the costs of constructing and maintaining a pole line along its tracks across vast distances for its own purposes which were largely for dispatching trains . It began doing so in 1882 as the separate Telegraph Department . It would go on to provide a link between the cables under the Atlantic and Pacific oceans when they were completed . Prior to the CPR line messages to the west could be sent only via the United States . </P>

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