Valerie G. Barnes Connell Jordan
Northern Advocate
There are many ways. To travel across this country, but, following a recent trip, unanimously, my favourite is the train.
We recently visited family members in Vancouver.
My husband and I left Saskatoon by air, arriving in Vancouver in two hours. It was a bit of a shock to move from one, familiar place to another, not so familiar, in such a short time we found.
Both of us left our Ottawa homes as young adults on the train, and it’s our favourite. We travelled by coach, each at different times with different destinations, but we have always agreed it’s our favourite way to travel.
On our earlier journey’s west, we travelled by coach, but there was a luxurious dining car, and many people.
As you are on the train with many others, it’s an opportunity to meet new people and learn more about various parts of the country.
The passenger train had the right of way, so you could always be assured of getting to your destination at the time specified.
Travelling across the country on the train, gives one the opportunity to see so much of the vastness of Canada.
I remember my mother having me all packed up neatly as I left for my first time away from home. At the last moment I dismayed her because I picked up a brown paper bag and put something in I had forgotten to pack.
Much of my trip to Brandon, Man. was crossing the province of Ontario. I didn’t realize it was a big as it is before that.
I remember being so excited when the train crossed over into Manitoba, and my arrival in Brandon at 1:37 a.m.
Since that time I have made many trips, but not for many years until one trip from Saskatoon to Vancouver in 2017.
I feel very secure on the train. My discomfort with heights doesn’t bother me on the train at all.
It was hard not to reflect on the downside of the train.
On this most recent trip, I thought about the move by the Canadian government to take over Indigenous lands to build the railroad across the expanse of Canada, coast to coast.
I have a hard time with that piece of history. What can be done to make it right? Can it ever be made right? I don’t have the answer.
Travelling through the Rockies, I remembered the stories of the many lives lost in the building of the railroad through the mountains. Another travesty in Canada’s history. I don’t have the answer on how to make that more just either.
Train travel has changed somewhat now. The freight train has the right of way because it’s worth more money.
That means delays along the way. As we travelled, we heard, there had been a derailment in Saskatchewan just prior to our trip, so there was much freight to be moved through quickly.
But, I found the delays were just part of the experience. No one seemed to be too upset by them.
Travelling through the Rockies just west of Jasper was glorious. While there was some rainfall and fog, we still had an amazing view of the mountains. We sat in the dome car for that part of the trip and it was breathtaking.
We met young people travelling on the train for the first time and loving it. It’s the way to travel they said.
It was wonderful going to sleep just coming out of the foothill-type country and waking up to an amazing Prairie sunrise.
