Welcome Visitor. First time here? Like what you see? Bookmark us for when you are bored, and check out 'top shots' and 'fantastic (editors choice)' in the menu above, you won't be dissapointed. Join our community! click here to sign up for an account today. Sick of this message? Get rid of it by logging-in here.



Hundreds of "navvies" labour over the prairies to lay Canada's new transcontinental railway, the Canadian Pacific, connecting eastern Canada to British Columbia. Using primative hand tools, horses and carts, and good old fashioned manual labour, they toil on to met Van Horne's goal of laying 500 miles of track across the prairies in the single season during the Summer of 1882 (spoiler: they only got 417 miles laid due to the weather).

This would have been the story in the 1880's, but this photo was actually taken in 1973 during the CBC's filming of Pierre Berton's "The National Dream", documenting the story of laying Canada's transcontinental railway from sea to sea. Difficult conditions in the mountains, hot prairies, and rocky northern Ontario "Canadian Shield" mixed with political and monitary difficulties made the construction a feat of its own.

According to a source on the matter, the track-laying filming scenes here were done on CP's Cassils Subdivision between Miles 9 and 9.5, on the curve approaching Kitsum, Alberta (unsure of exact geolocation on map).

Eric. W. Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
Copyright Notice: This image ©E.W.Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. all rights reserved.



Caption: Hundreds of "navvies" labour over the prairies to lay Canada's new transcontinental railway, the Canadian Pacific, connecting eastern Canada to British Columbia. Using primative hand tools, horses and carts, and good old fashioned manual labour, they toil on to met Van Horne's goal of laying 500 miles of track across the prairies in the single season during the Summer of 1882 (spoiler: they only got 417 miles laid due to the weather).

This would have been the story in the 1880's, but this photo was actually taken in 1973 during the CBC's filming of Pierre Berton's "The National Dream", documenting the story of laying Canada's transcontinental railway from sea to sea. Difficult conditions in the mountains, hot prairies, and rocky northern Ontario "Canadian Shield" mixed with political and monitary difficulties made the construction a feat of its own.

According to a source on the matter, the track-laying filming scenes here were done on CP's Cassils Subdivision between Miles 9 and 9.5, on the curve approaching Kitsum, Alberta (unsure of exact geolocation on map).

Eric. W. Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.

Photographer:
E.W.Johnson photo, Dan Dell'Unto coll. [990] (more) (contact)
Date: 06/07/1973 (search)
Railway: Canadian Pacific (search)
Reporting Marks: Not Provided
Train Symbol: The National Dream (search)
Subdivision/SNS: CP Cassils Sub (search)
City/Town: Cassils (search)
Province: Alberta (search)
Share Link: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=55064
Click here to Log-in or Register and add your vote.

10 Favourites
Photographers like Gold.Log-in or Register to show appreciation
View count: 427 Views

Share this image on Facebook, Twitter or email using the icons below
Photo ID: 53742

Map courtesy of Open Street Map

Full size | Suncalc



All comments must be positive in nature and abide by site rules. Anything else may be removed without warning.

One Comment
  1. For footage, the series is on YouTube: https://youtu.be/LfaFSgCUDwI?si=WYk89t5m8uVCrg4F&t=1370

Railpictures.ca © 2006-2024 all rights reserved. Photographs are copyright of the photographer and used with permission
Terms and conditions | About us