The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway spur from Sudbury across the north channel to Sault Ste. Marie in 1887 opened up the region to migration by farmers and settlers. In 1909, a group of capitalists proposed a plan to connect the island to the CPR line from Richards Landing. While local residents contributed to the financing for the project, nothing came of it. A rough roadway followed the CPR line so that by 1923, the communities along the channel were connected to Sault Ste. Marie by road.