▁as ▁an ▁engineer . ▁In ▁ 1 8 5 7 , ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁a ▁Canadian ▁government ▁expedition , ▁he ▁survey ed ▁a ▁line ▁of ▁road ▁from ▁Prince ▁Arthur ’ s ▁Land ing ▁( l ater ▁Port ▁Arthur , ▁now ▁part ▁of ▁Th under ▁Bay , ▁Ontario ) ▁to ▁Fort ▁Gar ry ▁and ▁further ▁expl ored ▁that ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 ▁and ▁ 1 8 5 9 . ▁His ▁report ▁greatly ▁stim ulated ▁Canadian ▁interest ▁in ▁the ▁West . ▁In ▁ 1 8 6 8 , ▁he ▁was ▁placed ▁in ▁charge ▁of ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁w agon ▁and ▁water ▁route ▁following ▁his ▁earlier ▁survey ▁by ▁the ▁newly ▁formed ▁federal ▁Department ▁of ▁Public ▁Works . ▁The ▁Daw son ▁road ▁was ▁travers ed ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 0 ▁by ▁the ▁Wol se ley ▁Ex ped ition ▁under ▁the ▁command ▁of ▁Colonel ▁Gar net ▁Wol se ley ▁sent ▁to ▁preserve ▁order ▁during ▁the ▁first ▁R iel ▁u pr ising , ▁the ▁Red ▁River ▁Reb ell ion . ▁ ▁Daw son ▁represented ▁Alg oma ▁in ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly ▁of ▁Ontario ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 5 ▁to ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁and ▁Alg oma ▁in ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁of ▁Canada ▁from ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁As ▁a ▁politician , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁consistent ▁advoc ate ▁for ▁native ▁rights . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 5 , ▁he ▁proposed ▁that ▁the ▁r iding ▁of ▁Alg oma , ▁then ▁the ▁only ▁r iding