My son, Joey, met me at the Vancouver Airport and took me to his apartment in a high rise in Downtown Vancouve (see picture at right)r. I stayed with him for a week. I had my photographs developed from my trip through Russia and Alaska and my son and I spent a few delightful evenings going over the details of my trip. I also visited 2 families that had lived a number of years before in our neighborhood in Montreal and showed them my photographs. I had been in Vancouver many times before so was not anxious to do any extensive sightseeing. I appreciated just having a rest from sightseeing for a week and spending some quiet time with my son.

On October 20, I caught the VIA Rail train, "Canadian" to Toronto (see picture at right). I had made this trip by rail about 30 years before so was anxious to see what changes had been made along the route. The rail distance was 4467 kilometers and the train journey was scheduled to take 3 days and 7 hours. The train left Vancouver at 8 PM right on time. The trip through the Fraser River and Thomson River Canyons that starts 150 kilometers from Vancouver was made at night. I was fortunate that a bright moon was shining so that I could see the river and rapids very clearly. I have seen these canyons several times before but always in the daytime. The view from the train that hugged and snaked along the canyon walls was just as awesome to see as during the day. 

 We arrived at Kamloops, British Columbia at 4.30 AM for the first servicing stop that was to take 35 minutes. The train finally left 4 ½ later as a railway car had to be added to the train and no electrician was available at that hour to fix the electrical connection between cars. I rather welcomed this delay as it made it possible for me to see the North Thompson River and the Rocky Mountains to Jasper in daylight (see picture at right). This area is one of my favorite places in Canada that I never tire looking at although I have seen it many times. I was able to see majestic Mount Robson that is the highest peak in this area as the train made its way over the Red Pass. 

 The 35 minute stop in Jasper, Alberta is always a delight as there are so many interesting small stores to look at that are in such a picturesque town that is surrounded by high snow capped mountains (see picture at right). We left Jasper at sun down and arrived in Edmonton, Alberta close to midnight. I woke up at dawn as we were arriving at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan This day we traveled across the prairies which was a contrast to the mountainous country that I had been traveling through the previous weeks. Yet like all places it has is own beauty with its amazing sunrises and sunsets and farmland as far as the eye can see. Every so often I would see a lonely prairie grain elevator with a small community surrounding it. We arrived in Winnipeg, Manitoba late in the afternoon. I had an opportunity to walk round the new shopping and park area that has been recently built near the railway station. This is a great improvement to the old railway freight sheds that were in this area before.

We left Winnipeg when it was almost dark. Next morning I woke up to see the train meandering round the small lakes and streams of Northern Ontario (see picture at right). This is a very pretty area to travel through as the train slowly makes its way through this difficult terrain. Occasionally the train stopped where there was no station, and picked up hunters who would load up their deer or a moose into the baggage car. We passed Sudbury Junction, Ontario as it was getting dark. The train was still about 4 hours behind schedule. The train made up a half-hour on the schedule and we arrived in Toronto, Ontatio at 2 in the morning being 3 ½ hours late on October 24, 1997.

I got a taxi to the apartment of my daughter, Marie and her husband Jock. It was 50 days before that Marie met my train from Windsor, Ontario, had lunch with me in downtown Toronto and wished me a safe trip round the world. She was very glad to see her dad safe and sound even if it was 3 in the morning.

I spent a week in Toronto during which time I had a chance to tell Marie and Jock all about my trip. I returned by train to my home in Windsor. I was happy that I had completed an important item on my wish list that I wanted to do ever since I was a small boy. I had gone round the world in 50 days and had completed 55% of the total journey by traveling on railway passenger trains.

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File: Around the World in 50 days Article.doc