CPR Magazine Article No. 174 May, 1951   Tree Planting Car Fresh from Overhaul Starts Long Assignment D.S. Thomson (right centre in left picture), vice-presidentof the prairie region and chairman of the Canadian Forestry Association for the prairie provinces, says bon voyage to John Coats, senior conservation officer for the association. Left is E.G. Bowie, superintendent of motive power and car department, while at extreme right is Alan Beaven, prairie provinces manager for the forestry association. In picture at right, D.S. Thomson accepts the keys of a new Chevrolet, donated by General Motors to the Canadian Forestry Association, for which Mr. Thomson is chairman of the prairie provinces division. M.J. McDaid, district sales manager for General Motors, is handing over the keys while C.E. Hayles of Winnipeg, chairmen for Manitoba, looks on. At the wheel is E.A. Beaven, association manager for the prairie provinces. Slick and shining from its annual facelifting at Weston Shops in Winnipeg the Canadian Forestry Association's tree planting car left recently by Company lines for Prince Albert, Sask., for the start of a three-month journey which brings it back to Winnipeg 2 Jul 1951 for transfer to Canadian National for movement from then until October.   It arrived in Prince Albert 31 Mar 1951 for a 10-day city stay and then began its tour of northern Saskatchewan and part of Manitoba.   Gift of the Canadian Pacific to the conservation cause 31 years ago and given an annual overhaul since then by the Company "for free", the car is handled gratis by both railroads for the association, during its long schedule as it makes its series of one and two-day stands across the prairies with longer halts in the larger places.   350 Million Trees   Equipped with sound films and a theatre and classroom space, the car takes the know-how of shelter belt planting right to the farmer in his own back yard. In some of the smaller places, the films shown - conservation and regular entertainment fare - are the only ones seen there. Since the car started on the road about 350 million trees have been planted on the prairies beautifying as well as protecting the farm and assisting in diversification.   To date the car has travelled over 100,000 miles spreading the conservation word and 1,500,000 people have attended its lectures.   Down to see the car as it came out of the shops were D.S. Thomson, vice-president of the Prairie region who is also chairman for the prairie provinces division of the forestry association; and E.G. Bowie, superintendent of motive power and car department for Prairie and Pacific regions. They were taken through the famous car by Alan Beaven, manager of the association's prairie provinces division and John Coats, senior conservation officer who was in charge of the car when it left on the first lap of its journey. Some 60 Company points are lined up on the schedule for lectures and practical instruction. This CPR Spanner article is copyright 1951 by Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway Company.