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Canada is a vast territory with a small population localized mainly in major commerce centres. This set-up creates isolation among Canada’s communities. Large-scale projects such as the Trans-Canada Highway, the National Railway, communications satellites, and the Confederation Bridge have been undertaken to help link the country physically and economically.

Begin by brainstorming and listing physical, electronic, economic, and other ways the students know that link the country. If the projects named above are not mentioned, name them and add them to your list.

Students will do in-depth online research about one of the listed large-scale projects to learn how the project was developed, what issues surrounded it, how it impacted people and the economy, and its current status. They can create a report or a timeline to share their information. If they have completed the activity St. Lawrence Seaway Timeline, they can include a few paragraphs comparing the two projects.

Students can share their work in small groups, where each person has researched a different topic. Each student should state a personal opinion about whether the project researched was a good one for linking Canada. As a class, discuss the similarities and differences among the projects, and why students think some are better for the country than others.