Canadian Pacific by Hank Snow is a song describing a journey
by CP Rail across Canada that resonated with me from a youthful age. Today,
however, the journey described in the song, from Newfoundland on the east coast
to British Columbia on the west coast, is no longer possible by train, but it
can be re-enacted by road and in a much shorter time than the 43 years it has
taken us. Our exploring by RV has been somewhat geographically erratic but for
the sake of this article the route is in logical order from the Atlantic (east)
to Pacific (west) coast and north to Alaska with the operator information being
current as at 2025.
We begin on a poignant note, on the west coast of
Newfoundland, looking out over the Gulf of St. Lawrence towards the province of
Labrador, known as ‘iceberg ally’, watching icebergs slowly melt and disappear
into the sea. Turning inland and crossing the relatively flat geography of
Newfoundland to the island’s west coast and the capital, St John’s. St. John’s
is set around a large natural harbour with a narrow entrance overlooked on both
shorelines by two former British military batteries, with a current population
of 223,667. St. John’s Transportation Commission (Metrobus) has a fleet of 59
buses, 51 of which are NovaBus LFS’s (Fig. 1) dating from 2001 to 2016, operating
22 routes. The remaining eight buses are smaller, used primarily for demand
response operations.
Moving on south via the ferry onto Cape Breton Island and an
anti-clockwise drive via the Highlands Nation Park and crossing onto Nova
Scotia heading for the ferry port at Caribou (Fig.2). Before 1997 the
only way onto Prince Edward Island was via the ferry. After May 31st
1997 the Confederation Bridge joined the eastern Canadian provinces of Prince
Edward Island and New Brunswick. The 12.9 kilometre (8 mile) long bridge is the
longest in the world crossing ice-covered water. The Island has a small bus
fleet of 19 vehicles mainly second hand, operating as T3 Transit in the capital
Charlottetown and rural districts.
Returning to Nova Scotia, the next stop on a clockwise route
around the province is the capital Halifax. Located on either side of an inlet
off the Atlantic Ocean with a population of 492,199. Public transport in the
greater Halifax area is provided by Halifax Transit, (Fig.3), with 376
buses and 5 passenger ferries. The modern fleet with an average age of just
under nine years consists primarily of NovaBus and NFI products. 71 bus routes are
operated including three regional express services which connect to an
extensive park & ride network and, in the case of service 320, the airport.
Moving on to the north shore of Nova Scotia overlooking the Bay
of Fundy, famed for having the highest tides in the world, we come to the
largest town in the area, Kentville and then the much smaller town of Wolfville.
Wolfville is at the centre of the local wine industry and in summer a seasonal
Routemaster bus tour operates from the local tourist information office to
various wineries. The more conventional bus network is operated by Kings
Transit Authority (Fig.4), with a fleet of 16 buses, operating five
routes with variations, some timetabled to last almost two hours.
The journey across the next province, New Brunswick, is
relatively bus free. The most frequent sightings are of Coach Atlantic express
services operating in and out of Halifax. Skirting the USA border and following
the St. Lawrence River, we now enter the French speaking part of Canada and the
next stop, Montréal. The largest city on the trip so far, with a population of 1,762,949
and popular as a tourist destination with many historic buildings and a
riverside promenade. Société de transport de Montréal (STM) (Fig.5), serves the
city with a fleet of 1,988 buses, primarily NovaBus LFS’s, covering 149 all day
routes, 23 rush hour, 23 night and 45 express routes.
From Montréal it is a long drive following the St. Lawence
River, the north shore of Lake Ontario, through the endless urban sprawl of
greater Toronto, eventually arriving into central Toronto. Toronto is the
largest city in Canada, and the metropolitan area has a population of 7 million
people. It is modern, vibrant and cosmopolitan but with a relaxed air and
laidback vibe that is helped by its location on Lake Ontario and a beautiful
waterfront. The modern architecture, some of it stunning, does overshadow what
remains of the older city buildings but not in a detrimental way. City
transport is in the hands of the Toronto Transit Commission (Fig. 6)
with a fleet of 2,066 buses, plus a fleet of trams and light rail units. The
majority of the bus fleet prior to 2015 consisted of vehicles from Orion Bus
Industries, whilst more recent deliveries are from NovaBus. The greater metropolitan
area is served by Go Transit with an extensive bus, coach and rail network, most
well-known to readers will be its large fleet of Alexander Dennis Enviro 500s. Moving
on, and a complete contrast as the city gives way to hundreds of miles of lakes
and trees before heading inland for even more trees, all within a relatively
flat topography.
Eventually, having crossed from Eastern to the Central time
zone and into the province of Manitoba, Winnipeg is on the horizon. Offering
little for the tourist, this mainly industrial city with a population of 836,250
merely serves as a staging-post for us before continuing west. The city does
however have a bus network provided by Winnipeg Transit with 633 buses (Fig.7).
In June 2025 a new bus network was launched breaking the network into eight
service types with more direct routes and easier interchange points, being
called a ‘spine-and-feeder’ system by the Transit Authority. Between 2018 and
2021 the Authority purchased 202 new buses.
If we remained true to the original Canadian Rail route and
the song lyrics we would now head off in the direction of Saskatchewan,
eventually entering the province of Alberta to visit Edmonton. We however are
taking the more southerly route into Alberta, the next stop being Calgary,
gateway to the Rockies. The city is probably best known for the Stampede in
July. Dissected by two rivers, the city centre is pleasant enough although
nothing outstanding. Calgary has had a transit system since 1909 (Fig. 8).
Today 1,016 buses operate 269 routes and 216 light rail cars are operated over
two routes with a third under construction. Time to move on, The Rockies are
calling.
One of the world’s most scenic drives, the 288 km (179
miles) between Banff and Jasper through their respective national parks are
outstanding, although climate change has had a dramatic effect on the scenery since
we first travelled the route over 40+ years ago. This, however, is Brewster Transport
territory which is considered to be Canada’s oldest tourist company (Fig. 9).
The history of Brewster was inexplicably linked to the development of tourism
in the Rockies, when in 1892 the manager of Banff Springs Hotel made an evening
visit to John Brewster at his dairy farm to ask if he knew of anybody willing
to guide his hotel guests. It was in 1915 that the first motor vehicle was trialled
resulting in an order for five Canadian built Overland vehicles, five seven
seat Model 86-Ts and one five seat Model 85. Whilst ownership and management
ebbed and flowed between various Brewster family members, financial stability
was lacking. In 1965 Brewster Transport was purchased by Greyhound Canada. Subsequently,
the business was acquired by Viad Travel and Recreation now trading as Pursuit,
a multi-national tourist business, but the Brewster name remains dominant in
the Rockies.
Before leaving the Rockies the final town of any size is
Jasper, population 4,735 and the place where our travels and the railway once
more converge. The Municipality of Jasper provides a three-route bus network using
Ford Cutaway vehicles (Fig. 10). From here, both the road and rail routes
start to descend out of the mountains and head south towards Kamloops. Whilst
the railway line then heads west, we continue south to Osoyoos, an inland holiday
resort on the Canadian/USA border where a sign on the lakeside beach reads
‘Going for a swim-remember your passport’. No time for a swim as we head west, eventually
reaching Vancouver.
Vancouver has grown exponentially in the decades since our
first two visits, the Metro Vancouver population now standing at 3,431,713. The
city remains welcoming with a chilled, laid-back and waterside vibe. It is also
the last point where we intersect with the cross Canada rail system and is the
final verse in the Hank Snow song. On our first visit BC Transit (Fig. 11)
was responsible for all public transport. However, on 1st April 1999
operations were split, services in the Metro Vancouver area were transferred to
Coast Mountain Bus Company, an operating subsidiary of TransLink. Coast
Mountain Bus Company provides service in all 21 municipalities that make up
Metro Vancouver area. Currently 232 bus,13 trolleybus, ten night bus and 6 Express
bus routes are operated by 1,414 buses and 262 trolleybuses. Fleet renewal will
see NovaBus supply large numbers of new electric buses during 2025-6 and
unusually, orders for Solaris Trollino 12m and 18m trolleybuses have been
placed for delivery in 2026-28.
Leaving Vancouver, heading south, you cross the Arthur Laing
Bridge which affords a wonderful view of the huge transit depot with line upon
line of buses and trolleybuses. On our journey we are heading for the ferry to
Vancouver Island departing from Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal. The crossing takes 90
minutes, initially across open water before cruising serenely between the Gulf Islands
and arriving into Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. This crossing is well connected to
public transport, on the mainland Translink operate bus route 620 whilst on
Vancouver Island BC Transit operate two frequent services between the ferry
port and downtown Victoria, the island capital. Alternatively, Wilson's
Transportation Ltd., under the BC Ferry Connector name, operate an integrated
coach/ferry service from various points throughout Vancouver city (Fig. 12).
Victoria, capital of British Columbia with a population of 397,237
has a small town cosmopolitan feel. The 56 route bus network is operated by BC
Transit with a fleet of 301 buses (Fig. 13): the majority of older
single deckers being NovaBus LFS’s, whilst more recent deliveries are New Flyer
Industries XN40’s. Of greater interest, although not for this magazine, are the
47 Alexander Dennis Enviro 500 double deckers in the fleet. Many services operated
by the Enviro’s, layover/depart from outside the Legislative Assembly on Government
Street, whilst other routes using more conventional buses layover in Belleville
Street.
From Victoria it is now a 498km (309 miles) drive to Port Hardy
in the north of the island. As you head north the character of the island
changes, from the flat well populated south to the rugged, sparsely populated
north, where bears still roam. The destination is Bear Cove Ferry Terminal at
Port Hardy for the BC Ferries car ferry to Prince Rupert, sailing through the Inside
Passage, a journey of 16 hours 20 minutes. Hard to believe, but after all the
miles and hours Prince Rupert is still in BC Transit territory and home to a
two bus outstation (Fig. 14). Over the last three decades the outstation
allocation remains at two vehicles: in 2025 these are GW Vicinity’s operated on
behalf of BC Transit by PW Transit.
The long journey north and inland with just a minor
diversion to visit the town of Stewart (Canada) and an unhindered walk into the
adjacent town of Hyder (USA), eventually brings us to the last major city on
the journey and the last transit system at Whitehorse, the capital of Yukon territory.
Perversely, the area was better known to the Victorians than travellers in the
20th/21st century because of its importance during the
goldrush era and still has a frontier feel. Whitehorse Transit is a small fleet
of 13 buses operating 8 routes, originally started in 1976 as the Women's
Minibus Society and the city became responsible for the network in 1981 (Fig.
15). The original fleet was supplemented with second hand vehicles
during the mid-eighties and subsequent fleet renewal has been sporadic, as has
support for the operator by city council members. Reading through the archive
of council minutes it becomes clear that over the decades the general consensus
has been, the network is too costly for a small city with a population of just 31,913.
Just as the gold miners of old, we continue north.
The Yukon is sparsely populated, even by Canadian standards,
as we travel along highway two before turning onto the Dempster Highway,
eventually crossing into the Northwest Territories, and reaching the end of the
road at Inuvik. Retracing our route back to highway two, we eventually arrive
in Dawson City, but not before encountering a final tourist coach at Dredge
No.4 National Historic Site (Fig. 16). We cross the Yukon River and
leave Canada via the ‘Top of the World’ highway and enter Alaska, to start a
new adventure.
Fig 001. St. John’s Transportation Commission
(Metrobus). BPC 346 (1208), NovaBus LFS with 38 seats, one of nine in the
fleet, purchased in 2012. Route 3 has two variants, A and B, the A which this
bus is operating misses out Eastern Health and Highland Drive at the northern
end of the route. ‘Village’ shown on the destination blind is a large shopping
centre at the southern end of the route, used as a timing point, the bus
continues a loop around the local area before returning back north.
Fig 004. Kings Transit Authority No. 65 an ElDorado
EZ Rider II (BRT style) from 2021. Seen in Wolfville on service 2E (E denoting
east bound), nearing the end of the route, with just seven minutes remaining
before terminating in Grande Pre.
Fig 005. Société de transport de Montréal (STM),
40-034, NovaBus LFS HEV, new in 2020. 251 of these buses were delivered in 2020
with two subsequent batches totalling 178 delivered in 2021/2. 40-034 is at the
bus stop on Beaver Hall Hill operating route 35 from Angrignon Parc, adjacent
to the metro station and large park & ride, in the south of the city to
McGill Metro Station in the north. Griffintown shown on the destination screen
is located in central downtown, it being a Sunday I am assuming this is a short
working.
Fig 006. Toronto Transit Commission 8523, NovaBus LFS dating from 2016, on Front Street/Union Station terminus about to depart on service 114 for Commissioners St at Carlaw, although the timetable states Lake Shore Garage Loop, a large bus depot just to the east of the terminus. The 114 has a ten-minute headway during the day. TTC operate 215 daytime routes, 27 night routes, 5 community routes, 27 express services.
Fig 010. Ford Cutaway from the Jasper Transit
fleet turns from Patricia Street onto Pyramid Lake Road operating on the Green
Route.
Fig 011. BC Transit V3116 a New Flyer Industries D40 one
of 109 units built in 1991, it became 3306 in the Coast Mountain Bus Company
upon its creation on 1st April 1999. Route 404 originally operated
from Ladner Exchange to Vancouver International Airport Domestic Terminal,
however over the years various amendments to the route has resulted in it now
running in the southern district of Richmond, connecting the Riverport
Entertainment Complex and Richmond–Brighouse Station.
Fig 012. Parked on the ferry deck whilst crossing
from Vancouver to Vancouver Island is Wilson’s Transportation Ltd., C262. Formally
2004 in the Pacific Coach Lines fleet, this Prevost H3-45 is fitted with high
capacity seating specifically for the service.
Fig 013. BC Transit (Victoria Regional Transit System) 4247, a VMC (Vicinity Motor Corp.) Classic V30 CNG dating from 2022, one of fifteen in the fleet. Route 10 operates between the Royal Jubilee Hospital and James Bay Village via downtown Victoria.
Fig 014. BC Transit depot (outstation), just off 2nd Avenue (Yellowhead Highway), Prince Rupert, British Columbia. 6774, OBI Orion 01.504 built in 1981, retired in 2003. 5349, GMDD T6H-5307N "New Look" built in 1973 for Prince George Tours & Transit. Transferred to the Bureau of Transit Services (later BC Transit) in 1978. Arrived in Prince Rupert 1994 and retired by 1999.
Fig 15. Whitehorse Transit, Orion Bus Industries
'Orion I'. An early model with the single swing-in front door. The bus is
promoting the 2000 Artic Winter Games. Photographed at the Ogilvie Street Terminal
about to depart on what in 2025 is service 101(City Central).
