Come aboard The Via Rail Canadian
For 136 years passenger trains have crossed Canada and the Via Rail Canadian is part of that legacy. Come with me and enjoy a ride on this iconic train service.
The Canadian starts its 4400 kilometre voyage from either Toronto in the east or Vancouver in the west depending on which direction you want to go. If you want to see the Rocky Mountains in daylight, take westbound route out of Toronto to get the best views.
The levels of service available for the voyage include Economy, Sleeper Plus and Prestige. One way fares start from $580 for an Economy seat, $1850 for a Sleeper Plus berth and over $11,000 for Prestige service. Discounts for seniors and CAA members are also available.
On my recent trip to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan I chose a the lower berth Sleeper Plus service. I was given a comfortable bed to sleep in for two nights, three wonderful meals a day and access to one of the famous “Park Cars” with an observation lounge.
My journey started in the business lounge at Toronto’s Union Station where passengers gathered and we enjoyed fresh brewed coffee and light snacks before our departure. Soon we were called to get on board and we were on our way.
I found my berth, dropped my luggage and headed straight for the park car. The park cars, originally built in 1954 and are named for Canadian national and provincial parks, have been lovingly restored. They feature leather seating, a full service bar and an observation dome which makes seeing the beautiful countryside so much more enjoyable.
Shortly after 10 am Hayley and Paulo, our park car porters, arrived with hors d’oeuvres and champagne, which was a tad early for me but the hors d’oeuvres were delicious. Most of us spent the first few hours guessing where we were as travelling on a train takes you to familiar places but gives you a completely different perspective.
With the greatest of luck we had Mr. Paul O’Shell, a retired railway employee on board. He’s a wealth of railroad knowledge and kept us apprised of where we were, what was coming up, our speed and even the outside temperature.
Soon we were called to the dining car for our first meal of the day. I was guided to one of the linen covered tables and introduced myself to my dining mates, two lovely ladies from Arizona. We were offered a choice of four different entrées, soup and dessert. Our food came very nicely presented and was really delicious. Dessert was a choice of a brownie, ice cream or both which saved me from having to make a decision. Soon we were done I headed back to the park car to enjoy the afternoon scenery and more of Paul O’Shell’s railway lore.
Our first stop off was Capreol, a suburb of Sudbury, Ontario where we could get off the train for an hour while it was refuelled. At minus 33 degrees, it was refreshing. A lady on the train needed to get to a pharmacy so a Via Rail employee from town kindly drove her to the pharmacy and back in their own car. Such wonderful service.
Dinner was served shortly after we got underway and of course we needed another meal after a strenuous afternoon of looking out the window. This time I chose the trout which was beautifully prepared and along with fresh vegetables and boiled potatoes and of course, the obligatory dessert, this time, key lime pie.
By the time dinner was finished it was dark on this January evening. Steve my porter, had prepared my berth and I got ready for bed. I even had a hot shower. I didn’t know this was possible. The technology of 1954 is astounding!
The night passed without incident and in the morning I rose from my comfortable bed and headed to, well, the dining car again as more food awaited me. I joined a retired doctor and his wife from Vermont and we watched the sun rise further into the sky as our breakfast was prepared. Soon we were presented with delicious omelettes and copious amount of fresh brewed coffee. Thankfully there was no dessert this time. At one point we looked out onto a frozen lake and much to our amazement there was beautiful white wolf sitting on the lake. This alpha male was a sight to behold with his fantastic fluffy coat and confident stance.
The rest of the morning was spent was spent in the observation lounge checking out the winter wilderness and going in and out of rail tunnels which were cut straight through rock and seeing canyon areas I never knew existed.
By late afternoon we were crossing into the province of Manitoba and we got our first taste of the flat prairie landscape this part of the west is known for. We arrived in the capital, Winnipeg, an hour ahead of schedule so we would have a little extra time to explore the centre of the city. It was a cold blustery night with plenty of snow coming down. We we told to go to an area called “The Forks” which was beautifully lit with colourful lights and there were warm buildings in sight.
The Forks Market is an old railway building that has been converted into a myriad of shops and restaurants offering every type of food imaginable. Shops offer everything from beautiful artwork made by the indigenous people of Manitoba to locally made crafts and souvenir items. I ventured back outside with my new train friend Mary Jane and we discovered several skating rinks, a skating trail which crossed over the Red River bridge and another skating rink below the bridge on the river itself. Winnipeggers were out in full force making use of all the skating facilities and taking in what winter had to offer. On the way back to the train we passed the Canadian Museum of Human Rights, a magnificent building which is worthy of another visit to Winnipeg.
We got back on board and it was time again for bed. I woke up the next morning in the province of Saskatchewan where you really get a sense of the vastness of the western landscape. We spotted several deer on the wind swept fields and someone else saw an ermine playing in the snow. We were going to arrive in Saskatoon three hours behind schedule so I was forced to have another delicious lunch and meet more interesting people before I got off at this, my final destination for this particular trip on the Via Rail Canadian. My next stop would be Prince Albert National Park, ironically, the name of the park car we travelled in.
Many of Via Rail’s train cars were built in the early 1950’s and although their interiors have been refurbished, they can’t last forever and with no replacement cars on order, the future of The Canadian remains uncertain. If this is a voyage on your bucket list, it’s best to book a trip sooner than later.