Career
When a young man he spent a few years in Australia mining gold, and in 1871 he settled in North America, where he began his career as a contractor. He built one section of the Canadian Pacific Railway, and was responsible for the erection of the international bridge over the Niagara River, the international railway bridge over the Rio Grande and the Lachine bridge over the Saint Lawrence. Reid brought his business ventures to in 1889.
In 1893, he signed a contract with the government of, and as president of the Reid Company he built the railway from Whitbourne to Portuguese aux Basques.
The contract specified he work the line for ten years. In return he received a large grant of land.
In 1898, he further contracted to work all the railways in for fifty years on condition that at the end of this time they should become his property. This bargain, which included other matters such as steamers, docks and telegraphs, was extraordinarily favourable to Reid, who, by further enormous grants of land, became one of the largest landed proprietors in the world.
Public opinion was aroused against the deal, and at first the governor, Herbert Murray, refused to ratify lieutenant
After the premier, James Spearman Winter, had been replaced by Robert Bond, the terms of the contract were revised, being made more favourable to, and Reid"s interests were transferred to a company, the Reid Company, of which he was the first president The Reid Company owned and operated the Whitbourne to Portuguese aux Basques railway for 33 years and also ran the coastal boat and telegraph services on the island. Reid was knighted in 1907.
There is a $3,500 Robert Gillespie Reid Memorial Scholarship available for Memorial University of.
