After attending my son’s graduation from the University of British Columbia, I decided to travel back to Ontario on VIA Rail Canada’s flagship Western Transcontinental, The Canadian. This was a travel experience like no other as I witnessed the geographic diversity that is so uniquely Canadian.

It took three and a half days to travel from Vancouver, British Columbia to London, Ontario, and for me November was the perfect time to go. The train was only half full, was fairly quiet, and the scenery was snowy and pristine. In previous years, I had driven flat out several times to both coasts; but by train, this great country is revealed in ways that the Trans Canada Highway simply cannot rival.

Traveling alone provided me with some rest, and much needed thinking time. Without the electronic distractions of cell phones and the internet, I did some knitting, read a book and wrote many pages in my journal. I discovered too, that I must always face forward to avoid motion sickness. I wonder if that means that I don’t like looking backwards to see where I‘ve been?

Delicious 4 star meals were shared with strangers from all over the world. In the city, many people would rather sit alone than interact with strangers. On this train, people were friendly, yet respectful; if you didn’t want to chat you didn’t have to. I chose to interact with other folks 50% of the time, while the rest of the time I “hermitted” in my tiny single cabin. I was very comfortable lying on my bunk watching the ever changing scenery glide by.

Sitting in one of two domed cars, I marvelled at the beauty and the diversity of the landscape. Ocean, mountains, foothills, prairie, northern boreal forests, lakes and rivers. I am in love with Mother Nature – all curves, no manmade straight lines. I couldn‘t get Gordon Lightfoot‘s Canadian Railroad Trilogy out of my mind.

I was drawn to the little cottages tucked away on lakes, the abandoned farm houses, and the decrepit trappers’ cabins. Who traveled to these remote places, and how did they live under such harsh conditions? November is a snowy month to be certain, but the real cold comes in January. How could the pioneers endure such harsh temperatures without today’s creature comforts? We Canadians are a hearty stock.

Living in these remote areas is admirable, but the work it took to construct these railway lines is also quite an accomplishment. Pierre Berton’s “The Last Spike” perhaps best documents this overwhelming achievement back in the 1880’s. I believe that every Canadian should pay tribute to those who gave their lives to link both coasts of our country by traveling this route at least once.

Perhaps this style of tribute would give us a greater appreciation of the challenges our diverse geography provides us. For me, seeing how others live humbles me. Seeing the expanse of our wilderness, makes me want to protect our natural heritage. Traveling outside of my normal circle, shows me that we are a mosaic of cultures that have shaped the country through the centuries.

I am grateful to have experienced such a trip. Being an A to B, no stopping type of traveler, the train gave me more appreciation for truly “enjoying the journey“. One day soon I look forward to traveling by train east to the Atlantic and north to James Bay, then perhaps going south to visit my American cousins. But you know, the Orient Express and the Trans Siberian sound like pretty good trips too!