Seeing Canada by rail a trip of a lifetime
As a proud new citizen of Canada, I took a VIA Rail train trip on “The Canadian” this past May, which you can board at Vancouver and take all the way to Toronto, and back again. It is advertised as a “trip of a lifetime.” And it was — all 4,466 kilometres each way.
A trip like this is no doubt on many people’s bucket lists, and new citizens are entitled to a 50 per cent discount on VIA Rail train tickets through the Cultural Access Pass program.
When I boarded at Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, I was like a kid giddy with excitement. As the train coursed through British Columbia, we hugged the mighty Fraser and Thompson Rivers. Hours later, the snow-capped Rockies appeared as we entered Jasper, Alberta. Then rolling hills, grazing lands and farms in the provinces Alberta and Saskatchewan before hitting a flatter Manitoba and stopping in Winnipeg. I toured the city, learned about its history and connected with the locals. Winnipeg’s crown jewel is the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, with its arresting architecture inspired by Canada’s majestic landscapes.
I reboarded the train, and after two-day trip of passing through a lot of lakes, we arrived in the largest city in Canada —Toronto. From strolling along Yonge Street, to visiting the ROM (Royal Ontario Museum) to the famous Bata Shoe Museum (the late Sonja Bata as an immigrant, too!), I wish I had had more time to explore this sophisticated city.
Heading home, a stop in Saskatchewan showed just how diverse Canada truly is. While the train was cruising past the farms, the flatness of the land seemed to stretch the sky’s horizon. Breathtaking!
It was a great expedition. Two days later, I was back home in Vancouver. But, after my trip, I should really call all of Canada my home. I am, after all, now the Canadian!