Did you know that the Canadian runs between Toronto and Vancouver? It completes the journey in four days and four nights. With its breathtaking landscapes, this trip is an unforgettable experience. Imagine starting out amid Toronto’s skyscrapers and heading straight into Ontario’s forests. Moving West you cross the Prairies, with its countless grain silos and acres upon acres of fertile lands, snow white in winter and golden with wheat in the summer. Eventually, the majestic and awe-inspiring Rockies rise up before you and you get to travel through tunnels under them, and around them along the Fraser River—the same river that Canada’s explorers used over 200 years ago. Finally, your journey ends when you arrive at the Pacific Ocean.

The Bank of Canada also unveiled a new $5 bank note at the same time as the $10 bill, featuring another type of transportation: space travel. Fittingly, the new bank note was unveiled live from the International Space Station, in zero gravity, by none other than astronaut Chris Hadfield, who returned to earth just a few days ago! The new $5 note displays Canada’s achievements in space robotics; Canadarm2 and Dextre.

Commander Hadfield’s prolific use of social media during his five-month stay at the space station helped Canadians get a taste of life in space without actually having to put on a space suit. We recommend travelling by train; it is considerably easier and the food is much better! You too can share your experience with all Canadians by posting your photos and texts on VIA Rail’s Facebook and Twitter sites.

During the week, activities to raise awareness for people of all ages were held across Canada. Volunteers, including many VIA employees, made presentations at schools and many other locations to introduce young people and Canadians to safety and prevention. They were also present in train stations, encouraging safe habits.  As a key partner of the Operation Lifesaver program, VIA Rail also organized several activities during the week.  For example, we distribute a Guide for Public Safety at all VIA Rail stations as well as on-board its trains.

We always hope that informed people will be involved in their community, passing on their knowledge to family and friends, creating a chain of good behaviour “instigators”. Ultimately, the goal is a reduction in the number of accidents.
This year, Canada’s Minister of State (Transport) announced a $9.3 million investment to improve rail safety. In the same vein, the Railway Safety Act was revised. All these changes have a common goal: to make level crossings safer and enhance people’s safety overall.

VIA Rail challenges all adult leaders out there, whether they’re parents, teachers, coaches or just concerned citizens to build on the important work of Public Rail Safety Week and the people who make it happen. Let’s all commit to sharing and demonstrating safety in everything we do with the younger generation who we live and work with so that we can keep improving safety, for everyone’s benefit.

Left to right: Mike Regimbal, National Director, Operation Lifesaver; Michael Bourque, President and CEO, Railway Association of Canada; The Honourable Steven Fletcher, Minister of State (Transport); Jean Tierney, Senior Director, Safety, Security & Risk Management, VIA Rail Canada; and Steve Del Bosco, VIA Rail’s Chief Marketing Officer at the launch of Rail Safety Week in Ottawa.

]]> http://www.viaevolution.ca/2013/05/09/operation-lifesavers-public-rail-safety-week/feed/ 0 http://www.viaevolution.ca/2013/04/25/our-collective-safety-is-a-team-effort/ http://www.viaevolution.ca/2013/04/25/our-collective-safety-is-a-team-effort/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:51:22 +0000 Marc Laliberté http://www.viaevolution.ca/?p=1279 Thanks to an unprecedented cooperation between law enforcement and the security units of various government departments, VIA Rail and CN, an alleged terrorist plot against VIA Rail operations was thwarted. Because of early action by all involved, there was no imminent danger to any of us. For that, we are thankful and we salute the dedication and courage of those who protect and serve, often in the background, discretely but effectively.

Still, it is events like these that remind us that we must all be vigilant, at all times. Our collective safety and security depend on it.

Despite the many measures deployed by VIA Rail and its operating partners, in many cases, it is ordinary citizens who help stop trouble before it begins. Alert and attentive individuals, who report suspicious behaviour or identify potentially dangerous people, are true heroes.

Our law enforcement officials have demonstrated the best of inter-agency cooperation and dedication to a common cause. At VIA Rail, we share this commitment. Our employees are trained to remain vigilant and identify suspicious behaviour. We cooperate with all parties interested in ensuring the safety and security of our operations, our passengers, employees and the public. Events like this week’s allow us to renew this commitment and dedicate ourselves to continuously enhance what continues to be the safest way to travel.

To read more about how our carbon-footprint is diminishing every year, have a look at today’s Media Release. For a more visual view, here are a few fun and informative graphics about VIA Rail that will give you a sense of why taking the train is good for everyone!

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

The first steam train arrived in Smithers on September 3, 1914

On April 8^th, in Smithers, British Columbia, VIA Rail participated in an anniversary celebration of “the first train to steam through” their town in 1914 – 99 years ago. The event was hosted by Doug Donaldson, MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) for the riding of Stikine, and by the Bulkley Valley Museum. With every anniversary, including Canada’s 150^th and VIA Rail’s 40^th both coming up in 2017, we are reminded of the role the train has played in connecting our country. How many transportation industries can boast being around for over a century? And how many can say they helped to build a country?

The town of Smithers itself can thank the Grand Trunk Pacific railway for its existence, by virtue of the fact that they created a divisional point in the place where Smithers now stands. To think about the influence placing a train stop had in founding Canada’s landscape is astounding… and nearly a century later, many remote communities still rely heavily on VIA’s service, and we’re glad to be able to offer it and support them.

Congrats Smithers, we’re proud our industry played a part in the creating of your town and that it has grown to celebrate its 99th year. Here’s to your centennial!

Large turnout for the centennial event for Smithers’ first steam train

MLA Doug Donaldson and VIA’s Mitch Mcammond with prizewinners

These conferences, which have been designed to “inform, inspire and incubate” local and regional projects so as to mark the historic milestone, will be kicked off in Vancouver by speakers ranging from actor Adam Beach to environmental activist Tzeporah Berman.

Getting inspired is easy: follow the #Canada150 hashtag on Twitter or hop online to watch videos and be a part to the action at www.2017startsnow.ca. The website will also launch on April 5^th.

Information about each event and the cities in which they are taking place can be found on the website as well.

Trains helped to build and grow our country, and VIA Rail has been a part of this history, connecting people across Canada for almost 40 years. As a part of the very fabric of Canada, VIA Rail is excited to be a part of this national tour. We can’t wait to see what transpires from these forums, which are giving Canadians an opportunity to leverage new ways to connect to national initiatives.

…and at VIA Rail, we’re all about connecting people to what matters. We’re part of your future!

On March 11^th, VIA Rail had the pleasure of hosting a press conference announcing the upcoming launch of our On-Board Entertainment system.

We are proud to be innovators in this field; only a small handful of other countries can boast having a train with an on-board entertainment platform. We are equally proud to be working with our partners: CBC / Radio-Canada, the NFB and Historica-Dominion, who offer the very best in Canadian programming.

Click on the link above to get a sneak-peek at the amazing shows you’re going to have access to this summer…

Just another way VIA Rail will make your next train trip a more enjoyable, more relaxing and more connected one.

On the ‘night’ train from Toronto to Montreal: Alvin Queen, Dave Young and Robi Botos riding on the Glen Fraser car

What do Oscar Peterson, VIA Rail and Jazz have in common? A Night Train!

Of course, there is also the passion for passenger trains and the celebration around jazz with the unsurpassed Montréal Jazz Festival…

Fifty years ago, Oscar Peterson, the illustrious Canadian jazzman and pianist, released one of his most celebrated albums “Night Train”. On February 26th, 2013, VIA Rail and CBC Music.ca celebrated the anniversary of this monumental album with a special voyage aboard VIA Rail’s Glen Fraser car, that travelled between Toronto and Montreal.

The title of the album came from Oscar Peterson’s link to passenger rail service: his father, Daniel Peterson, an amateur trumpeter and pianist, worked as a porter for Canadian Pacific Railway.

Carrying esteemed passengers to a Montreal concert which took place on February 27th, 2013 at Westmount’s Victoria Hall (where Oscar Peterson performed regularly during his career), a production crew from CBC Music was on board the Glen Fraser car filming interviews with everyone from Kelly Peterson, Oscar Peterson’s wife, to Robi Botos, Dave Young and Alvin Queen, three of the musicians who performed Oscar Peterson’s work at the commemorative concert.

As well, the concert itself was recorded live and VIA Rail was there, doing updates on Facebook and Twitter about the Feb 26th train trip and the concert on the 27th. Watch for a social media contest around the time of the broadcast next week, through which you could win some trips aboard VIA Rail’s trains.

Videos from the CBC’s “50 Years on Oscar Peterson’s Night Train” will be available online beginning March 12 at CBCMusic.ca/jazz. The concert itself will be broadcast on March 14^th on CBC Radio 2 at 7pm (ET) and on March 15^th on CBC Radio One at 2PM (ET). As well, the documentary will be broadcast through VIA Rail’s On-board Entertainment System, available in Spring 2013.

VIA Rail initiated its inter-modal strategy in 2011. In 2012, it doubled the number of its partnerships to 15 in Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, British Columbia, and New Brunswick. These partners include the Agence métropolitaine de transport in Montréal, GO Transit in the Greater Toronto Area, airlines such as Air Transat, the Robert Q motor coach service in southwestern Ontario, Maritime Bus, motor coach service in the Maritimes, and car-sharing services such as Communauto in Québec City and VRTUCAR in Ottawa, to name a few.

I am pleased to report that this strategy is working. For example, the number of travellers making connections between VIA Rail and Go Transit has more than doubled in 2012 versus 2011. On average, 160 customers per day purchased a ticket from VIA Rail’s website with the intention of using the services of more than one transportation company.

In 2013, we will continue to integrate inter-modality in our business model by entering into more of these partnerships across Canada.

Bon voyage!