From left - Jerry Court, Marlene Court, Janis Whillams and Susan Newman observe the view from the High Level Bridge aboard the Heritage Train.

18 July 2011

Adventure Riding the Rails

Lethbridge Alberta - When Pat Barry first came from Nelson, B.C. to Lethbridge at the age of four, 65 years ago, he arrived by train. On Sunday he got to relive his adventure aboard the Canadian Pacific Railway's (CP) Heritage train on a ride-along fundraiser for the Children's Wish Foundation.
 
Barry's children bought him and his wife Carol tickets for the trip for their 47th wedding anniversary.
 
The couple rode from Fernie, B.C.
 
"It's been a great trip," he said.
 
A total of 180 passengers were aboard the train for a once in a lifetime opportunity to ride across the historic High Level Bridge.
 
The ride held fond memories for the Steve and Yola Gruca who lost their daughter Stephanie in 2007.
 
A year before, Yola and her children took a steam train ride from Lethbridge to Calgary not knowing that the fundraiser she was supporting would soon be granting her daughter's dying wish.
 
"In April of 2007 our daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumor," Yola recalled. "So Children's Wish Foundation then came to us and wanted to grant her a wish, so it was just funny how (it came around). (Stephanie) passed away in November of 2007."
 
Four-year-old train lover and future "train driver" Jaxson Johnson was having a blast on the ride.
 
The best part of the trip was the bridge, he said.
 
"Because I like it!" he exclaimed.
 
Susan Newman needed to travel home to Lethbridge from Crowsnest Pass and when she heard about the fundraising trip she knew that was the way to go.
 
"To go across the High Level Bridge, it's such a historic monument," she said. "I was trying to imagine in my mind what it would have been like in the early 1900s to come. I remembered a story I read about two English ladies that came over early in the 1900s and they travelled by train, and the one lady wrote home and said Canada is a forever land."
 
CP and the Children's Wish Foundation's partnership began as a water bottle collecting campaign 10 years ago, which has raised more than half a million dollars since, said CP representative Mike LoVecchio.
 
The train ride-along is just one of many fundraisers that CP has initiated.
 
"Last year it raised $50,000. We've already topped that this year, and we've got a whole other run to go in August," LoVecchio said.
 
"Our aim is to reach $100,000, and certainly local employees made a huge difference."
 
CP employees in Lethbridge raised $10,000 for the foundation. About $65,000 has been donated from the entire trip so far.
 
The Heritage train was painted in historic CP colours and included a baggage car from the 1930s, a car from the 1920s, passenger coaches from the 1950s and a CP museum car.
 
Jamie Woodford.