Rail: Only
by Train!
BY LIZ FLEMING
26
Built in the late 1800s, the railway soon
enabled valuable freight to be moved,
making our country a solid business
proposition for all provinces.
While freight was key for the growing
economy, the railway was equally important
for European tourists eager to see this vast
country. Soon tourist travel rivalled freight,
and exploring the exciting young country by
train became ultra-fashionable. Capitalizing
on a profitable trend, the Canadian Pacific
Railway Company built glamorous,
luxurious hotels designed to rival the most
elegant European châteaux. Located
conveniently near the train tracks, the CP
hotels invited guests to relax at the end of a
day of touring. The combination of elegant
accommodation, and this magical manner of
travel, fostered a thriving Canadian rail
tourism industry.
Rail travel still entices tourists with train
journeys topping the list for sophisticated
travellers from all over the world. Many areas
of the Far North can still only be reached by
When negotiations to make Canada a country
were underway, it was the promise of a
railroad that would bind one coast to the
other that clinched the deal. On that history-
making day in 1867 in Charlottetown, Prince
Edward Island, the concept of a permanent
link between the West and the Maritimes
convinced the Fathers of Confederation that
our nation could become a reality.
VIA RAIL CANADA
