On 23 May 1887, Canadian Pacific Railway Engine 374 arrived in Vancouver pulling a train carrying 150 passengers. The new nation of Canada was then linked from the Atlantic to the Pacific and this opened the door to new arrivals and immigrants. The CPR rail yard and roundhouse located in False Creek, an industrial area with saw mills, lumber yards and barges. The removal of the railway tracks was a clearing made for the creation of the Expo 86 site, who's theme was Transportation and Communication. The refurbished Engine 374 once again made its appearance. As a fundraiser "Heritage" bricks sold for $19.86 each, the amount to coincide with the year of Expo, and $400,000 raised. Each brick had the purchaser's name on it, and these blocks now form the paved floor of the Pavilion on Drake Street, Vancouver.
My daughters, both 4th generation Vancouverites, have their names embedded in time with the train that brought it all together.
No comments:
Post a Comment