CN Real Estate was set up to develop the railway's lands in the hearts of Canada's major cities by building major office complexes and underground shopping malls. Other railway lands, in the West, were found to be rich in oil and gas, and CN Exploration Inc. has many wells in production. C.N.R. Telegraph grew into a subsidiary company, CN Communications, which operates NorthWestel in the Yukon and northern British Columbia, and Terra Nova Tel in Newfoundland, and, in partnership with Canadian Pacific, runs the giant CNCP Telecommunication system and Telecommunications Terminal Systems. CN Investment Division was formed to manage the pension funds of the corporation, which now has almost 50,000 pensioners. This business unit assembles teams of specialists, as required, from other parts of CN to work on contract for private enterprises or governments in Canada and around the world.
Growth can only occur where there is a willingness to change.
For a company, that means adapting to the reality of the needs of its customers and owners, and of the business environment in which it operates. After more than 75 years as a government-owned railway, Canadian National was privatized in 1995. While railways have undergone substancial changes over the years they continue to play a crucial role in Canadian society. Given the nature of Canadian geography and our economy, they will continue to occupy an important place in our transportation systems in the future.