Category Archives: Railway Adventures across Canada

In three hours, our train journey travels 4,000 miles from the historic rail trails of Newfoundland into the heart of Canada and across to British Columbia. En route our videos explore historical and modern cities, rainforests, wildlife, culture and cuisine. (Photo: Matthew G. Wheeler)

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British Columbia: Reading Totem Poles at Capilano

Posted on June 27, 2014 by On Top Of The World

A look back at the origins of the Capilano Suspension Bridge and a meeting with a master carver who was hired to restore the totem poles carved by his grandfather, a Squamish Chief. Stan Joseph explains how to read the totem poles and distinguish the colours and characteristics pertaining to different tribes in British Columbia. For more information: check out episode #45 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged aboriginals, Bella Coola, berries, British Columbia, Canada, canyon, Capilano Indian Reserve, Capilano Suspension Bridge, cedar stumps, clamshells, deer marrow, Devil’s Club, Eagle clan, Haida, Kwakiutl, master carver, pigments, potlatch, Salish, salmon eggs, spiritual, Squamish, Thunderbird, totem poles, Tsimshian, Vancouver, walrus whiskers | Leave a comment

British Columbia: Haida Gwaii

Posted on June 27, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Decaying Totem Poles at Skidans are visual reminders of the original natives who inhabited the villages in Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte Islands) off Canada’s west coast. The Haida have inhabited the islands for over 10,000 years and were nearly wiped out in the 19th century by European diseases when traders arrived in the area and infected them with smallpox. Memorial poles are testimony to the culture that once thrived in these islands. For more information: check out episode #43 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged aboriginals, British Columbia, Canada, epidemic, European traders, Haida Gwaii, Hudson’s Bay, ice age, immune system, logging, memorial pole, missionaries, Queen Charlotte Islands, rainforest, Skidans, smallpox, totem poles, Vancouver Island, Victoria | Leave a comment

British Columbia: Stanley Park, Vancouver

Posted on June 27, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Stanley Park with its coniferous rainforest, marine and urban wildlife, over 250 species of birds, walking trails, petting zoo, miniature train and a sea wall that provides access to the inter-tidal areas has literally something for everyone. The laid-back lifestyle and accessibility of Vancouver is evident as you mingle with wildlife enthusiasts, bird-watchers, in-line skaters, cyclists and joggers; explore the park and tour the gardens for which it is famous. For more information: check out episode #44 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged bird-watchers, British Columbia, Canada, cyclists, ducks, gardens, inter-tidal, Lord Stanley, miniature train, northwest rainforest, petting zoo, raccoons, totem poles, trails, urban environment, Vancouver, wheelchairs, wildlife | Leave a comment

Ontario: Thunder Bay – No Sleeping Giant

Posted on June 24, 2014 by On Top Of The World

On the north shore of Lake Superior, the City by the Bay features 600 acres of parkland, fun and water activities for all ages, family restaurants, and some of Canada’s best-known attractions. With Thunder Bay as our base, we visit the monument to Terry Fox, Kakabeka Falls, Ouimet Canyon, Silver Islet, Old Fort William, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park and enjoy an ice-cream or two, or three. For more information check out episode #42 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged art gallery, artisans, button blankets, Canada, Finnish food, fur trading post, Hoito restaurant, Kakabeka Falls, lakes, Old Fort William, Ontario, Ouimet Canyon, potlatch, Rendezvous, Silver Islet, silver mine, Sleeping Giant Provincial Park, Terry Fox, Thunder Bay, totem poles, Trans-Canada Highway | Leave a comment

Ontario: Houseboat Holiday on the Lakes & Rivers

Posted on June 24, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Travel the highways of Ontario the way the first explorers did – on the rivers, lakes and canals. Ontario’s network of locks and the luxury of a houseboat take the sting out of back-breaking portages and unexpected waterfalls while still allowing for that tremendous sense of personal discovery. For more information check out episode #41 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged Bobcaygeon, Buckhorn Lock, Canada, Canadian Shield, canals, Egan Marine, fishing, Georgian Bay, Grist Mill, Houseboats, lakes, locks, Ontario, Peterborough, rivers, Trent-Severn Waterway | Leave a comment

Ontario: Long Point World Biosphere Reserve – Bird Observatory & Forest

Posted on June 20, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Our exploration of Ontario’s Long Point World Biosphere Reserve continues with a visit to the Bird Observatory where the health and behavior of over 200 species of migratory birds is monitored. At Bacchus Woods a unique habitat has evolved from prehistoric sand dunes and along with various species of vegetation we see a rare example of a Carolinian Forest. Part 2 of 2. For more information: check out episode #40 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged Bacchus Woods, banding, Biosphere Reserve, Bird Observatory, Bird Studies Canada, birds, Black Gum, Canada, Carolinian Forest, dyke system, Long Point Provincial Park, migratory birds, Ontario, Oven bird, sand dunes, Sassafrass tree, songbirds, Spruce Bud Worm, Swainsons thrush, Sycamore, thrush, Tulip trees, Wetlands, wildlife, yellow warblers | Leave a comment

Ontario: Long Point World Biosphere Reserve – Park & Wetlands

Posted on June 20, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Long Point Provincial Park straddles Lake Erie and while it is one of Ontario’s lesser-known parks it has gained international recognition as a World Biosphere Reserve. The park comprises camping grounds, walking trails, a fragile sand dune system and wetlands that provide a home for wildlife, snakes, turtles, frogs, and songbirds. Big Creek is an important stop-over for migratory waterfowl and Monarch butterflies. Part 1 of 2. For more information: check out episode #39 in the Railway Adventures across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged Big Creek, Biosphere Reserve, birds, Canada, dyke system, fish, frogs, insects, Long Point Provincial Park, Ontario, sand dunes, snakes, turtles, Wetlands, wildlife | Leave a comment

Nova Scotia – Tales and Trails

Posted on June 19, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Rugged highlands, lobster traps and bagpipes. Tales and Trails reveals the history behind some of the major attractions in the Province of Nova Scotia including the Cabot Trail, Peggy’s Cove, the Bluenose, the tidal bore, the Fortress of Louisbourg and the early days of multiculturalism across Canada. For more information check out episode #38 in the Railway Adventures across Canada.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged American Revolution, Annapolis Valley, blacks, Cabot Trail, Canada, Cape Breton, Dutch, Empire Loyalists, England, Fortress of Louisbourg, France, Fundy tides, Germans, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Halifax, Huguenots, John Cabot, Lunenberg, MicMacs, North Atlantic Schooner Fleet, Nova Scotia, Peggy’s Cove, Quakers, Sainte-Famille vineyard, Sydney, The Bluenose, Tidal Bore, Tidal View Farm, William de Garth | Leave a comment

Québec City: Festival d’été – A Summer of Discovery

Posted on April 11, 2014 by On Top Of The World

The Festival d’été de Québec is our opportunity to unearth the City’s past, discover the present, and glimpse the future. French buskers, acclaimed musical acts from around the world, and emerging artists are the backdrop to this journey as we explore a cultural legacy that expands beyond the walled city, past the magnificent cascade at Montmorency Falls, and across the St. Lawrence River to Île d’Orléans. Our adventure includes a wealth of architecture, fine cuisine, and some intriguing historical notes – where else in Canada have French and English adversaries been killed in battle but died happy? For more information check out episode #37 in the Railways category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged architecture, Battlefield Park, Canada, Chateau Frontenac, Citadel, English, French, General Montcalm, General Wolfe, Ile d’Orleans, Montmorency Falls, music festivals, Plains of Abraham, Québec City, St. Lawrence River, UNESCO, United Nations, walled city | Leave a comment

Canada: Vancouver Island – Pacific Rim

Posted on April 8, 2014 by On Top Of The World

Long Beach offers one of the most incredible stretches of coastal wilderness. Along with rainforest trails and shore-pine bogs, we explore the Broken Group Islands, visit a seal colony and learn about the early aboriginal peoples. For more information check out episode #36 in the Railways across Canada category.

Posted in Railway Adventures across Canada | Tagged aboriginal, Bald Eagles, Barkley Sound, British Columbia, Broken Group Islands, Canada, Long Beach, Nootka Indians, Pacific Ocean, Pacific Rim National Park, rainforest, Red Cedar, seals, shore-pine bog, Vancouver Island, Western Hemlock | Leave a comment

Category Archives: Railway Adventures across Canada

British Columbia: Reading Totem Poles at Capilano

British Columbia: Haida Gwaii

British Columbia: Stanley Park, Vancouver

Ontario: Thunder Bay – No Sleeping Giant

Ontario: Houseboat Holiday on the Lakes & Rivers

Ontario: Long Point World Biosphere Reserve – Bird Observatory & Forest

Ontario: Long Point World Biosphere Reserve – Park & Wetlands

Nova Scotia – Tales and Trails

Québec City: Festival d’été – A Summer of Discovery

Canada: Vancouver Island – Pacific Rim

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