Craigellachie - We Have to Quit Visiting Places I Can't Pronounce
Day 22 6-21-16 We visit Craigllachie which is the Last Spike for the Canadian Pacific Railroad.
Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver to Banff - First Passage to the West - Unravel Travel TV
First Passage to the West is Rocky Mountaineer most popular route through the Canadian Rockies, famous for uniting Canada's East and West. Travel through the legendary Spiral Tunnels and pass by Craigellachie, the spot where the last spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. This is the only passenger rail service on this historic route, celebrated for connecting Canada from East to West. Traverse the Continental Divide and be inspired by spectacular mountains and dramatic canyons. If you’re a history buff, this route is for you.
Amazing Sights Along the Way include:
Cisco Crossing - Find yourself where the CP and CN rail tracks overlap. The orange truss arch bridge, one of two bridges, is the largest single span bridge on the CN line at 247 metres (812 feet) long.
Black Canyon - Black Canyon features a unique dark shale rock wall that towers above the tracks, providing a stunning contrast against the dark blue water below and the sandy hills that roll away above.
Hoodoos - Don't mind the hair raising feeling as you pass by the Hoodoos, legend has it these formations are people turned into pillars through witchcraft.
Craigellachie - Though you're moving forward on the tracks, you're actually going back to 1885 and the site of the 'Last Spike' where Canada's East and West were united by 3,200 kilometres (1,988 miles) of railway track.
Kinbasket Lake - Pass by Kinbasket Lake, an upgraded reservoir on the Columbia River just past Golden. Kinbasket's calm, blue-green waters are the perfect back drop for your photos as the train twists along the shore.
Kicking Horse River - From here on, you'll be following the Kicking Horse River deep into the Canadian Rockies. Lucky for you, there aren't any bucking broncos to worry about.
Spiral Tunnels - Twist your way through a Swiss engineering marvel that was built by the Canadian Pacific Railway and 1,000 men. The tunnels have been impressing (and disorienting) rail travellers since opening in 1909.
Castle Mountain - Tall, dark, and pretty darn big, Castle Mountain, named in 1858 for its castle-like shape, is a monster of a mountain at just over 2,766 metres (9,074 feet).
Banff - Whether you're interested in outdoor adventure, prefer soaking in Banff's famous sulphurous hot springs or simply want to take in the stunning views at the top of the gondola, Banff is the ideal Canadian destination. Located in Canada's first National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Banff offers breathtaking vistas, culinary adventures, and thriving wildlife. Throw in a castle for good measure and you'll see why Banff is described as uniquely magical.
Rocky Mountaineer, Vancouver to Banff - First Passage to the West
Unravel Travel TV
Alaska Cruise & Canada's Rocky Mountaineer Train - Jetline Cruise
The Awe inspiring Rocky Mountains are Canada's crowning glory, coupled with an Alaskan cruise creates one of the finest scenic and wildlife holidays on earth! You will start your holiday in Vancouver, a vibrant sophisticated city overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Then embark a 7 night cruise to Alaska and experience tidewater Glaciers, rugged Mountains and abundant wildlife in the most luxurious surroundings aboard the Celebrity Century. After your cruise enjoy a further night in Vancouver before boarding the Rocky Mountaineer. Retrace the steps of 19th century explorers, travel through the legendary Spiral Tunnels and pass by the spot where the last spike on the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven. This is the only passenger rail service on this historic route, and its construction is one of the most important in Canadian history as it united Canada from east to west.
Day 1 -- Vancouver: Fly direct from London to Vancouver. Transfer provided from the airport to the 4* Georgian Court Hotel, Vancouver. Afternoon at leisure.
Day 2 -- Vancouver: Morning at leisure to explore Vancouver. Transfer independently to Vancouver Cruise Terminal to Join Celebrity Century for your 7 night Alaskan Cruise. FB
Day 3 -- Cruise the Inside Passage: Shaped by the staggering force of massive glaciers millions of years ago, Alaska's inside passage boasts wildlife-filled fjords and lush Island scenery -- habitat for bald eagles, sea lions, porpoises and whales. FB
Day 4 -- Icy Straight Point, Alaska: Icy Point straight is located near the town of Hoonah, the largest native Tlingit Indian settlement in Alaska. Take an excursion to Chicagof Island, home to one of the world's biggest brown bear populations. Or take a walk along the shore where it is not uncommon to spot a humpback or Orca whales.FB
Day 5 -- Hubbard Glacier, Alaska: From the comfort of the ship you can feast your eyes on one of the most active glaciers of its kind in Alaska. The Hubbard Glacier is a spectacular sight to behold and, at 1,350 square miles of clear blue ice, is the longest river of ice anywhere in North America.FB
Day 6 - Juneau, Alaska: Today you will visit Juneau, Alaska's capital which was founded in the Gold Rush of 1880. Take a helicopter ride to see its stunning scenery by air or enjoy a more sedate but equally thrilling tramcar ride to the top of Mount Roberts.FB
Day 7 -- Ketchikan, Alaska: Known as the Salmon capital of the world and Alaska's First City, Ketchikan offers a wide variety of things to do. Visit the Potlatch Totem Park, home to one of the most elaborate collections of wood carvings in the World. Or take a scenic flight over the impressive Misty Fiords National Monument.FB
Day 8 -- Cruise the Inside passage: Have your binoculars and camera ready as you enjoy further scenic cruising en route back to Vancouver.FB
Day 9 -- Vancouver: Disembark the ship and transfer independently to the 4* Georgian Court Hotel. Enjoy a day and evening at leisure to explore one of the world's most beautiful cities.B
Day 10 -- Vancouver to Kamloops: Transfer provided from your hotel to join the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Kamloops. Highlights include the rushing waters of Hell's Gate in the Fraser Canyon and the steep slopes and rock sheds along the Thompson River. Transfer provided to Kamloops Hotel. B,L
Day 11 -- Kamloops to Banff: Transfer provided from Kamloops Hotel where your journey continues eastwards to the mighty Canadian Rockies and the province of Alberta. Highlights include Craigellachie, where the last spike of the Canadian Pacific Railway was driven, Rogers Pass, the Kicking Horse Canyon, the Spiral Tunnels and the glaciers and snow-capped peaks of the Canadian Rockies. Transfer provided to the 4* Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa. Evening at leisure. B,L
Day 12 -- Banff: Enjoy a day and evening at leisure to explore the spectacular lakes and mountains of Banff National Park. With the Caribou Lodge only a 10 minute walk to the centre of town, you will have plenty of time to explore this picturesque Mountain town.
Day 13: Transfer provided from the Banff Caribou Lodge & Spa to Calgary airport for your direct return flight home to London.
The following meals are included: B = Breakfast; L = Lunch; FB = Full Board
Jetline Cruise website
#686 The Royal Canadian Pacific Compendium 2016-10-19
As the title says, this is a compendium of video segments taken between 2011 and 2016 of the Royal Canadian Pacific luxury train, which also serves as Canadian Pacific's Business Train. The video is in chronological order and the videos (I hope) improve with time.
I lifted a good deal of information from various websites for those that may be interested. Some of it is promotional but is also informative.
From The website: (edited)
Canadian Pacific Railway was instrumental in uniting Canada as a nation, joining east and west coasts with a transcontinental rail line.
In the early days of the railway in Canada, Canadian Pacific executives were assigned their own business car in which they would travel in style as they conducted official railway business across the country. As technologies changed the way we travel, these cars fell out of use and for many years sat dormant. In the late 1990’s a number of these vintage cars were fully restored and brought together to become the Royal Canadian Pacific – North America’s most exclusive luxury train.
The Royal Canadian Pacific consists of 10 Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) 1920’s era business cars coupled to two 1950’s locomotives all of which have been restored to their original splendor. Period furniture, silver settings, brass accents, walnut paneling and open vestibules are the pinnacle of a bygone tradition of elegance. Subtly add modern amenities the discerning traveler would expect, complimented by gourmet cuisine , fine wines along with unsurpassed hospitality and you are presented with the Royal Canadian Pacific.
THE BUSINESS CARS
Canadian Pacific’s passenger cars were custom built in Montreal at the CPR Angus Shops. This facility, initiated in 1902 by William Van Horne, then President of Canadian Pacific Railway, allowed CP to build their own rolling stock.
The passenger cars that make up the Royal Canadian Pacific are beautifully re-finished and fully restored to their original splendour. The Mount Stephen car, named after CPR’s first president, was originally built as the CPR Director’s day car. This car was also used to host a number of Royalty and dignitaries for Canadian tours.
Today, as the tail-end lounge or “observation” car, the Mount Stephen is the hub of activity for Royal Canadian Pacific. The Craigellachie dining car, a refurbished 1931 sleeper, was named for the location of the driving of the last spike of the transcontinental railway. This beautifully finished car seats a maximum of thirty-two guests for meal service, and can be configured as a meeting room for corporate clients.
The Strathcona, Van Horne and Royal Wentworth were all business cars built by Canadian Pacific expressly for it’s senior executives in 1926 and 1927. These cars feature a lounge area, a dining area, staterooms and open vestibules. The Banffshire (1926) and the N.R. Crump (1930) sleepers provide Royal Canadian Pacific guests with luxury accommodation in private staterooms.
All guest rooms are equipped with modern conveniences including a private three piece en-suite, plush bathrobes, and an in-room safe.
These days, the train is available only as a whole-train charter. If this kind of service really interests you, I found only a single site that put this service into a monetary perspective:
From the Luxury Train Club website: (edited)
PRICES
Charters for a Tour
Per day, overnight on the train for custom itinerary multi-day trip from CAN$ 55,000.00
Dinner Trains
No Minimum/Maximum 30 passengers
Royal Banff Dinner, round trip, up to 5 hours from CAN$ 27,000
Royal Banff Dinner, round trip, over 5 hours from CAN$ 30,000
Royal Lake Louise Dinner day trip, 7 hours from CAN$ 33,000
Royal Field Day Trip, excludes dining from CAN$ 39,000
One Way Journeys
No Minimum/Maximum 30
Calgary to Banff from CAN$ 27,000
Calgary to Lake Louise from CAN$ 33,000
Add CAN$ 125 per person over 30 passengers, by special arrangement only.
And now you know.
These videos were recorded with a Canon XA10, Sony HDR-CX110, Sony HDR-AZ1, Canon T5i/700D, Canon SX30IS, Nikon AW110, and Genius DVR-FHD590.
Edited and produced using Cyberlink PowerDirector 15 Ultra.
Information regarding locomotive types, build and other data are available from the '2016 Canadian Trackside Guide' published by (and available from) the Bytown Railway Society Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
N.B.The photographer and cameras did not encroach on the line of the right-of-way in taking this video. It is dangerous, foolhardy (and illegal) to enter on railway rights-of-way. Just sayin' ... You don't stand on a runway to watch airplanes.
This video and audio material may not be reproduced in any form (except as an embedded video on any other website), without written permission.
SICAMOUS, B.C, CANADA. SEP 2015.
In the 1800s Sicamous and area was inhabited by a semi-nomadic Indigenous nation called the Secwepemc or Shuswap. They crossed the Rocky Mountains to hunt buffalo on the plains. In this area they were called the Schickamoos. In 1871, a Provincial Map shows Schickamoos Narrows, which in early history was known as a meeting place of Indians.
In 1864 gold was discovered on the Columbia. Seymour Arm became a supply centre in the Big Bend Gold Rush.
In 1885 permanent settlers arrived after the driving of the Last Spike at Craigellachie, which linked Canada sea to sea. Among the first settlers in Sicamous were the families from Finland. Old Town, or Eagle Pass Landing as it now known, became an almost instant town in 1871. It was the central supply centre for railway construction. Today it is used primarily for recreational purposes such as sledding, houseboating, hiking, swimming, and biking.
Later, in the early 1900s CPR hill became a residential development. Finlayson's store and a jail were built in 1892, adding a post office in 1904. The first school opened around 1908. In 1949 the bridge was built across the channel, previously having been just a ferry crossing. Several hotels opened. In the early 1900s the Sicamous Hotel was built. The hotel was Tudor style with 75 rooms and a large elegant dining room. The dances were locally popular and well attended. The hotel was burnt down in 1964.
Eagle Valley, in Sicamous, became the home of many settlers. They came and farmed the land, putting up with forests, deep snow, and hordes of mosquitoes. The first newspaper in Sicamous was the Eagle Valley News. It was printed for the first time on 22 October 1958; it continues today.
Sicamous was incorporated in 1989.
In June 2012, the community experienced major flooding due to heavy rains and an abnormally high amount of snow melt from higher elevations nearby. Over 350 residents were evacuated, and many homes were heavily damaged.
Victoria BC – Empress Hotel – Thank God It’s Friday – Short Film – Part 2
Thank God It’s Friday – or TGIF – is a short film in 4K that was 10 years in the making. For the last 10 years it has been our habit on Friday evenings to take the relatively short walk into the downtown/Chinatown area of Victoria, British Columbia. The city never fails to amaze us with its beauty and charm. Victoria is perhaps Canada’s best kept secret – for some would say there is no better city in Canada. Certainly there is no better city in Canada as a destination for retirement. So what better way to capture that enchantment of Victoria than in a short film.
In Part 1 – Victoria – A Love Story – we capture the main reasons why we love the city of Victoria. In Part 2 – we walk through the iconic city symbol – The Empress Hotel that is full of Old World. We may not be able afford to stay at the Empress Hotel or even to enjoy the High Tea at $60 per person but there is nothing to stop a “leche vitrine” walk through the hotel as we often do – just to soak it in or as the French say “faire du lèche-vitrines.”
The Fairmont Empress, commonly known as The Empress, is one of the oldest hotels in Victoria, British Columbia Canada. Located on Government facing the Inner Harbour the Empress is an iconic symbol for the city itself. It has been designated a National Historic Site in Canada due to its national significance.
The hotel has 477 rooms, with most either overlooking the Inner Harbour or the hotel's rear courtyard gardens. It has four restaurants, including Q at the Empress, Q bar with views of the inner harbour, and the Lobby Lounge which serves the world renowned Tea at the Empress The Veranda is a seasonal restaurant located under the Empress sign and replaces Kipling's as the hotel's fourth restaurant. In 2005, Kipling's closed its doors to the public in order for renovations, including of the hotel's second ballroom, The Shaughnessy Ballroom. The hotel has gym facilities, a whirlpool bath and an indoor swimming pool. Willow Stream Spa was added in 2002 and was listed by Conde Nast as one of the world's best spas. The hotel has received several accolades including Travel + Leisure Best Hotels of the World and recognized on Conde Nast Gold List. The hotel became Victoria's first Five Green Key hotel as acknowledged by the Hotel Association of Canada for sustainability practices
Canadian Pacific Power on FEC Tracks July 7, 2017
CSX train Q037-06, from Charlotte, NC to Jacksonville, FL had CP AC4400CW #9721 leading. Here is video of it making good speed on Florida East Coast rails as it passes Hendricks Ave in Downtown Jacksonville, bound for Bowden Yard south of town.
Q037 is presently the only train that runs direct to FEC on CSX, named the Threads Express with intermodal for export remarked by the abundance of Crowley containers (Port Everglades) and Seaboard Marine containers (PortMiami). The latter carries furniture to the Caribbean.
Note: This clip is in 4K. I had problems with the editor thus far so I had to upload this separately as a raw file. Apologies for shaky camera movements. Interestingly, the sign off I would've used is at the end of the catch, as it was the last catch of the trip.
YVR Community Showcase - Kamloops
In south central BC, at the confluence of the two branches of the Thompson River near Kamloops Lake, youll find Canadas Tournament Capital - the beautiful city of Kamloops. From world-class golf, biking and water sports in the summer to the amazing skiing and snowboarding at Sunpeaks Resort and hockey in the winter Kamloops has it all. Kamloops is an amazing year round location for businesses, outdoor enthusiasts, and anyone who appreciates natural beauty.
To view the full B.C. Community showcase videos please visit yvrconnections.com
Vancouver to Banff and back by Bicycle
Random highlights from the Silver Circle Cycle Tour over 14 days in June, 2009. Shown: Kamloops, trail outside Sicamous, Last Spike at Craigellachie, avalanche sheds near Yoho National Park, Roger's Pass, bicycle race in Bannf, Kootenay Lake Ferry, pass outside Princeton, crossing the Fraser River at Agassiz.
More information:
CANADA - Dans les rapides sur la rivière Athabasca en Alberta.