I saw more wildlife between Hornpayne and Winnipeg than I
have in almost all of my other trips combined across Canada by train. There was
a beautiful healthy looking white/grey wolf standing in a clearing just off of
the tracks, a couple of bald eagles playing tag and/or flirting just after
dawn, a golden coloured bear close to the tracks who I could almost swear made
eye contact with me as the train passed and perhaps most surprisingly a large flock
of white pelicans somewhere east of Sioux Lookout. I think, because of these rewarding
occasional sightings, I probably spent more time looking out the window than I
normally do.
The front section of the train (economy section) was once
again surprisingly empty. I thought about asking one of the VIA people if they
would sell me a cheap ticket all the way to Vancouver. I knew that was beyond
their power, but a near empty train was going that way and that seemed a silly
waste of space. An extra twenty or so more people would not make either the
engine or the staff work harder. Even if those twenty people only paid $100 for
the trip....that would still be $2000 more than VIA had started off with.
Perhaps VIA should have some sort of standby system with tickets available at
half cost 12 hours before the train leaves.
As it was, the car was delightfully quiet. Everyone had their
own seat and for the most part, I think most folks kept to themselves, with the
exception of course of the twenty-something crowd who spent their time in the
dome car. The young lady in front of me was off to Edmonton for a new job - I
only know that because I heard her talking on her cell phone to one of her
roommates. The few times I spoke to her, she always seemed to be shocked that I
would say anything and never responded.
The couple across from me were getting off in Sioux Lookout.
At one point in the early evening they got off for a smoke. I didn't see them
get back on. As the rain was leaving, I spoke to an attendant who said he was pretty
sure that they had got back on but that they had warned people that it was
going to be a short stop and not too stray too far. I fell asleep not being
sure if they were on the train or not. The couple must have been in the dome
car as they were back in their seats and all packed up in time for their stop. The
attendants did not seem all that concerned as to whether or not they were on
the train. On some trains the crews are very engaged with the passengers -
giving lots of instructions such as wearing shoes when crossing in between cars
to prevent the soles or toes from being pinched as the connecting compartment's
floor moves, drinking lots of water or reminding people that if they get off
the train for a break, that it is fine to miss getting back on - as long as
they don't mind waiting three days for the next one. This crew did not seem to
be around much. I wondered if it was because they all knew that a strike could
have been called fairly soon.
The young lady behind me was Asian. I do not think she spoke
a lot of English. At one point, early on the first day, an older couple came up
to and offered to buy her lunch. They said that they wanted to show her some
"Canadian hospitality". I thought it was a nice gesture. She said no.
The couple looked disappointed. They were, I think, trying to be nice. The
young lady, except to use the bathroom never left her seat. I noticed the next
morning that she slept wearing a face mask which always looks a bit strange to
me.
The musical entertainment was a couple - not as young as
some others that I have seen. She played the guitar and he the electric bass.
The audience initially was not that appreciative with one older lady requesting
songs such "Little Boxes" and another passenger, who may have been
drinking, trying to engage the singer in a conversation that neither I nor the
singer could understand. When they sang their own material, she had a
remarkable voice. But singing to a small audience (perhaps ten people) in a
swaying car must be challenging. When she tried on a couple of occasions to
sing songs that she thought people might like to hear (Cash's Ring of Fire and
House of the Rising Sun) she did not know all of the verses. If she only knew
one verse of House of the Rising Sun - she probably should not have tried it.
I did my usual thing on short trips - I slept a lot,
listened to music and read. Not wanting to sound jaded but the train trip from
Sudbury Junction to Winnipeg is just a ride. I was glad when the train arrived
just before 7:30 - thirty minutes early.
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