Best way to celebrate Canada’s anniversary
A FEW minutes past 11pm, a Via Rail Canada train pulled into a film-noir-lit station in New Brunswick. Two passengers, insufficiently dressed for the frigid outdoors, hopped off. Eyeing their escape route, they scaled a snowy bank and dropped into a parking lot. Shannon Flood was several strides ahead; I trailed behind, picking my way around the black ice. We had only 15 minutes and counting to complete our escapade. If we failed, the train would depart for Montreal without us. I couldn’t risk a twisted ankle.
Shannon arrived first and placed the order. I joined him at the counter and, in a confessional voice, informed the other customers that this was my first time inside a Tim Hortons, the country’s version of Dunkin’ Donuts.
“You must not be from the Atlantic Maritimes,” replied the patron ahead of us.
With the clock ticking, I quickly relayed my narrative: American but just discovered my Canadian citizenship (long story), crossing the country by train, never sampled the nation’s venerated coffee. Then we grabbed our purchases and hightailed it back to the tracks. We were settled in our seats, sipping hot cups of Hortons coffee, when the train lurched forward, bound for lands west.
For Canada’s 150th anniversary this year, there are infinite ways to fete the unification of its British colonies. You can visit a national park, historic site or marine-conservation area free. (Thank you, et merci, Parks Canada.) Buy a commemorative stamp. Attend the Canada Day festivities on July 1 in Ottawa, the capital. Binge-watch Ryan Reynolds movies. Or for the ultimate pan-celebration, traverse the country by train.
“You don’t really get the scope and breadth of the country - how much real estate there is from coast to coast” on other modes of transportation, said Daryl Adair, who wrote the “Canadian Rail Travel Guide” and runs a train-travel agency in Winnipeg, Manitoba. “On the train, you can appreciate how big the country is, from the Atlantic to the Pacific and to the Arctic.”
And we Americans thought we were supersized.
Our northern neighbour is the world’s second-largest country by area, after Russia; the United States ranks fourth, after China. We close the gap at the border, considered the world’s longest international boundary. Via Rail, the nationalised passenger line, offers 19 routes in eight provinces, including a transnational journey from Nova Scotia on the Atlantic to British Columbia on the Pacific.
The trip is epic in terms of scenery and experience but not in time or expense. If you leave Halifax, Nova Scotia, on a Friday afternoon, you will arrive in Montreal the next morning, catch a train to Toronto and then board the Canadian, which pulls into Vancouver, B.C., the following Wednesday. (Other departure days might require an overnight or two in Toronto or Montreal.) If you can sleep curled up like a shrimp in a takeout container, the economyclass fare costs about US$500 (RM2,250).
To stretch out like a noodle, you will pay more than twice as much, but chef-prepared meals, non-boozy beverages and snacks are included. Plus, the US dollar is slightly trouncing Canada’s currency. So, you can treat your train travel mates to a Tim Hortons run.
“You missed it,” said the agent behind the counter in Halifax. “It left an hour ago.” Nooooooooooooooooo! “The next bus leaves later today.” Bus? Easy mistake: The bus and train share the same building along the waterfront, where - to add to the transportation cluster - cruise ships also dock. The man directed me to the Via Rail entrance, where I would pick up the Ocean, the first of my three trains. But before releasing me, he reminisced about his own rail journeys across the country, including a stretch of track that overlooks his childhood home.
“I’m envious,” said the bus company employee. “It’s my favourite way to travel.”
At check-in, I received a paper bracelet for my meals (a la an all-inclusive resort) and selected my dining times (late seating, please). On the boarding platform, I met my cabin attendant, Joanne, who was still spunky after 40 years on the job. She escorted me to my cabin, a snug lair with a bathroom, clever storage and seating that she would transform into a bed in the evening.
She showed me how to escape through the window, warned me not to stand in the vestibule and reminded me to always wear shoes. Then she asked if I would be willing to act as my car’s “able body.” I agreed, but: How many times has she called upon a passenger to assist in an emergency? Never, she replied. A car once derailed, but the pajamas-clad passengers evacuated through the main doors - no window-smashing required.
After the thorough debriefing, Joanne returned to her position on the platform and I set off to explore the oldest continuously operating named passenger train in North America. (How old? Try 1904 old.) I shut my cabin door, locking myself out. Joanne had to help her incapable-bodied passenger back inside. While the train was still parked, I roamed the narrow aisles from nose to tail. I visited the economy section, where passengers had arranged their belongings for a public slumber party, the WiFi lounge and the dining room elegantly set for lunch.
At the bar, I scanned the menu of Canadian beers and wine, and at the hot beverage station I poured myself a cup of fancy tea and gingerly climbed the stairs to the second level of the Skyline dome car. Surrounded by windows framing the earth and the sky, I tucked myself in for the nearly 24-hour ride. — WP-Bloomberg
For Canada’s 150th anniversary this year, there are infinite ways to fete the unification of its British colonies.