Sowing the Future
The Tree Planting Car brought nature education to four generations
Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories go back to the times when I would accompany my dad, Alan Beaven, to search for the Tree Planting Car (TPC) located somewhere among the hundreds of railcars at the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) yards in Winnipeg. It always felt like an adventure. Dad was the longestserving lecturer on the TPC, beginning his career in 1926 and ending in 1946. By the time I came on the scene, he had completed his stint on the car but was still responsible for its operation.
The saga of the TPC began in 1919 when the Canadian Forestry Association, in cooperation with the CPR and Canadian National Railway (CNR), launched one of the most innovative and longest-surviving education programs to be undertaken on the Canadian Prairies. From 1919 to 1973, the TPC travelled 263,000 miles and played host to four generations, numbering more than 1.5 million people across Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. During those years, about half a billion trees were planted on approximately 100,000 farms.
The TPC was a railcar equipped by the CPR as a “travelling schoolhouse,” with accommodation for the lecturer and an assistant or, in the case of my dad, for his family. My mom and brother toured with Dad for several seasons until my brother started school. Being considerably younger, I missed this experience and have often felt cheated because of that! I was very privileged, however, to have the opportunity to meet many of the fine men who served as lecturers during the later years, as they were frequently entertained at our home.
Knowledgeable staff engaged rural people in
their own communities and encouraged them to plant trees, thus making the TPC program unique. Over the years, all available teaching tools were used, including slides, silent films, radio broadcasts and “talkies” to enhance the program. Presentations included a grade-appropriate series for school children who visited the car during the day, and a program for adults in the evening. In addition, for 40 years, from 1933 to 1973, the TPC doubled as the Conservation Car and travelled through the parkland regions to promote the wise use of renewable resources, emphasizing the importance of forests and trees.
Each spring, the car would leave on a pre-arranged itinerary, stopping at small towns and villages. There was great excitement and anticipation among the population when they knew the car was coming to their town, particularly in the early years when there was little or no other entertainment. If the first evening program was “sold out,” families would wait in the heat and dust or in the rain for up to two hours until a second show was presented later that evening. At times, they would stand on wagons or the back of trucks and peer in the windows to catch a glimpse of what was going on inside the car.
Lecturers were required to keep a daily diary and their reports provide entertaining scenarios.
Friday, July 29, 1938, Irvine, Alta.:
“It was one of the hottest days of the summer, with heat in the car intense. Yet so many turned out, two meetings were necessary, a remarkable showing for this small place. Watching the program was like taking a Turkish bath, and running it was even worse. None remained for the question period!”
Wednesday, July 12, 1939, Oxbow, Sask:
“Just to keep it from being too perfect, about a million mosquitoes invaded the car when the lights went on for the lecture, and I couldn’t tell whether the people were applauding me or slapping the insects!”
So many dedicated people contributed to making the TPC a successful endeavour, including the lecturers who served with dedication and conviction; the railway personnel from both CPR and CNR; the staff at the federal tree nursery at Indian Head, Sask., which supplied the trees and shrubs that the farmers planted; private nursery operators, who expanded the variety of plant materials available; and, most importantly, the farmers themselves who bought into the dream of “planting the Prairies” and helped make it a reality.
The TPC was retired in 1973 and donated by the CPR to the Manitoba Forestry Association. The car was moved to the Sandilands Forest Discovery Centre near Hadashville, Man., where it now resides.