Train to Jasper

 

Although we were meant to catch the VIA Canadian Train from Toronto to Jasper at 10pm on the Friday we were delayed until 4am and finally departed.

We ‘slept’ a few hours in a small but adequate cabin then had breakfast served by an equally tired but courteous and friendly crew.

 

Travelling west the first day our train passed through what is described geologically as mountain shield; poor soil with large rocky outcrops with dense trees - a mixture of deciduous and fur trees. The land is marshy with many lakes and rivers.

We had a short stop at mile 150, Parry Sound (pop 7K)

It marks the eastern edge of the rugged Canadian Shield; the region of billion-year-old exposed bedrock that covers half of Canada, between the Great lakes and Hudson Bay, and parts of Northern United States.

Soon the land flattened out to what is locally referred to as the foothills and savannah or prairie lands. At Greater Sudbury (mile 262) we passed a large solar panel farm that supplies all the electricity for the city of 160 thousand people.

Sunday September 17

For the next day, the land remained flat grassland with large farms and scattered townships. We finally entered the Canadian state of Alberta and later that day pulled into the large city of Winnipeg.

Winnipeg is a large city with a population of 665 thousand people. Originally the hub of the Canadian fur trade; today it is an important district center to the large surrounding farming community - especially wheat and grain. It also has over 50 ethnic communities (especially Inuit peoples) and folk, culinary traditions and cultural activities of these communities are all part of life here.

I was the only mug to walk off the train outside and face the cold icy windblast, whilst the others stayed on the warm train.

Initially I tried walking towards the CBD but realised that it was getting too in the howling wind and there was very little to see on a Sunday in Winnipeg; so three blocks later turned back to the station and watched the charity concert.

There was also a great display of the history of rail at the station.

On leaving Winnipeg we travelled across flat plains

Onward and further towards Jasper

Monday September 18

The following morning we saw flocks of birds Canadian Geese and white geese on the lakes near the train.

Dining on the Canadian.

We continued travelling through flat farming land:

Very frequently we would stop on a siding for ABFT (Another B######  Freight Train).  This one had 3 locomotives and 202 railcars -

The train stopped at Edmonton (Alberta’s capital)

Oil & mining is prevalent in these parts

We took advantage of the high domed panorama car

We passed a large lake that had many fishing and camping locations.

Lumber freight trains kept passing us

At Edson the topography changed as we headed to the Rocky Mountains.

We arrived in Jasper at 11pm rather than 1pm. The locals were not surprised!

The staff on the train were amazing making everyone as comfortable as possible with meals/vouchers etc. and personal assistance where possible. The undue delays affected both train staff and ground staff as well and both worked very hard to accommodate all the necessary changes and keep passengers advised of the situation.