▁and ▁the ▁maintenance ▁of ▁that ▁integral ▁connection ▁of ▁Canada ▁with ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ". ▁The ▁convention ▁also ▁approved ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁St . ▁Lawrence ▁canal ▁as ▁an ▁all - Can ad ian ▁project , ▁maintenance ▁of ▁a ▁maximum ▁fre ight ▁rate ▁for ▁gra in ▁products , ▁construction ▁of ▁inter pro vin cial ▁high ways , ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁find ings ▁of ▁the ▁Dun can ▁Commission ▁investig ating ▁gr iev ances ▁of ▁the ▁Mar itime ▁provinces , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁resolution s ▁on ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁min ing , ▁the ▁fish eries , ▁and ▁agricult ure , ▁and ▁for ▁legisl ation ▁giving ▁the ▁Western ▁provinces ▁powers ▁over ▁natural ▁resources ▁within ▁their ▁territory . ▁ ▁Results ▁While ▁there ▁had ▁been ▁some ▁expectation ▁of ▁a ▁close ▁race ▁between ▁Ben nett ▁and ▁Gut hr ie , ▁the ▁latter ' s ▁b ung led ▁speech ▁at ▁the ▁convention ▁proved ▁sever ely ▁inj ur ious ▁to ▁his ▁ch ances , ▁and ▁resulted ▁in ▁Ben nett ▁having ▁a ▁command ing ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁first ▁ball ot . ▁Gut hr ie ▁finished ▁second , ▁narrow ly ▁ahead ▁of ▁C ah an , ▁followed ▁by ▁Man ion , ▁Rog ers ▁and ▁then ▁D ray ton . ▁Gut hr ie ▁and ▁C ah an ▁actually ▁had ▁more ▁votes ▁between ▁them ▁then ▁Ben nett ▁did , ▁but ▁any ▁hope ▁of ▁one ▁dro pping ▁out ▁and ▁end ors ing ▁the ▁other ▁was ▁ultimately ▁th wart ed ▁by ▁their ▁political ▁views ▁being ▁too ▁dis similar , ▁plus ▁the ▁en m ity ▁that ▁Gut hr ie