FLEMING, SIR SANDFORD (1827-1915), Canadian en gineer and publicist, was born at Kirkcaldy, Scotland, on Jan. 7, 1827, but in 1845 emigrated to Canada, where he was from 1867 to 1880 chief engineer of the Dominion Government. Under his control were constructed the Intercolonial Railway and much of the Canadian Pacific. After his retirement in 188o, when the Canadian Government handed over the construction of the latter to the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, he devoted himself to the study of Canadian and imperial problems, such as the unifica tion of time reckoning throughout the world, and the construction of a state-owned system of telegraphs throughout the British empire. He saw the first link forged in the chain, in the opening in 1902 of the Pacific Cable between Canada and Australia. He advocated Federation in 1864-67, and in 1891 attacked the Lib eral policy of unrestricted reciprocity with the United States. He died on July 22, at Halifax, Nova Scotia. He received the C.M.G. in 1877 and the K.C.M.G. in 1897.
He published The Intercolonial: a historical sketch 5832-76 (Mont real and London, 1876) ; England and Canada (London, 1884) ; and numerous brochures and magazine articles.
See L. J. Burpee, Sandford Fleming, Empire-Builder (with bibli ography, 1915) .