Backyard History
Whether you’re inside or outside, there are places all over Canada where you can discover more about the story of our railways.
take a trip
Many towns have a historic railway that takes visitors on short rides. The Kettle Valley Steam Railway near Summerland, B.C., (shown at left) takes you over the Trout Creek Trestle Bridge, once the third-largest of its kind in North America. People flock to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., to admire the fall colours on the famous Agawa Canyon Train Tour. Near Winnipeg, Man., you can hop on the Prairie Dog Central Railway, and in Quebec’s Eastern Townships, the Orford Express offers meals and beautiful views. Be careful when you’re riding the Alberta Prairie Railway near Stettler; there just might be a (fake) train robbery!
All over Canada, former railway lines have been turned into beautiful trails where you can walk or ride your bike.
Ask a parent or grandparent if they know “The Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” a famous song by folk singer Gordon Lightfoot. Give it a listen!
The Spiral Tunnels were built in 1909 so that trains could gradually climb or descend through the steep mountains in what is now Yoho National Park. If you hit the viewpoint at the right time, you’ll see trains loop in and out of the tunnels.
Station Yourself
Dotted all over the country are train stations that have been turned into museums. Here are just a few of them. You can check out the Orangedale Railway Station Museum on Cape Breton Island or P.E.I.’s Elmira Railway Museum. The Port Moody Station Museum and the Station Museum in Castlegar show off B.C.’s rail history. The Railway Coastal Museum in St. John’s, NL, (shown at right) is one of the grandest you’ll see — it’s in an impressive stone building that was once the Riverhead Train Station.
Railway Museums
Climb onto locomotives and inside all kinds of train cars when you visit these spots. There’s the Saskatchewan Railway Museum near Saskatoon, (shown at left), the New Brunswick Railway Museum in Hillsborough, N.B., and of course the Canadian Railway Museum in Saint-Constant, Que. Discover why St. Thomas, Ont., was once known as the railway capital of Canada when you visit the North America Railway Hall of Fame.