Andrew Onderdonk

Onderdonk, Andrew

Andrew Onderdonk, contractor (b at New York City c 1849; d at Oscawana, NY 21 June 1905). Trained in engineering at the Troy (New York) Institute of Technology, Onderdonk was contractor in charge of government construction of 355 km of the Canadian Pacific Ry between Port Moody and Savona's Ferry on Kamloops Lake, 1880-85. To overcome the shortage of white labour, he employed about 6000 Chinese workers. He also built the section of the CPR main line from Savona's Ferry east to Craigellachie in Eagle Pass, BC. In 1895 he obtained a contract to build part of the Trent Valley Canal in eastern Ontario for the federal government.