Day 4 on the Canadian

Tim and I began our last day on the Canadian the same way we did yesterday. For us, it’s been a perfect way to start our day on the train.

Our route continued to take us deep into the Canadian Shield, and we could see why it’s called rock country, since billion-year-old exposed bedrock covers more than half of this vast region. Granite outcroppings along the rocky shores of the numerous lakes were a common sight.

Numerous Lakes and Rocky Shores

I found it amazing that no east-west highway penetrates the section of the Canadian Shield that we traveled through, and the few signs of “civilization” that we did see were usually found near the railroad tracks. Access here truly is by train. In fact, the train may stop in what appears to be the middle of nowhere to pick up or drop off passengers. People can even flag down the train, although we were told that most do make arrangements ahead of time.

Although the scenery during the last few days was not as dramatic as that of the Canadian Rockies, I still appreciated the panoramic views. In fact, I was able to enjoy the train itself even more since I didn’t have to be on “high alert” for photo opportunities.

If there is one negative to traveling by train in Canada, it is the fact that freight trains have the right of way, as is the case in the United States. Because the Canadian shares tracks with freight trains, it often runs late, meaning hours not minutes. Although the schedule tries to anticipate these delays, it became clear that we would arrive in Toronto after 7:00 pm, not 2:29 pm as planned. Oh well, we just try to go with the flow.

Freight Trains Have the Right of Way

As we got closer to Toronto, we began to see a little bit of color in the trees. Tim and I had hoped that Canada’s renown maple trees might have already acquired their blazing red and gold hues, but we were just a little too early. We also started to see a few cottages along the lakes that seem to be popular as weekend or vacation retreats.

A Little Bit of Fall Colors

As the early evening skies began to darken, we caught our first views of the Toronto skyline, including the slender CN Tower, one of the most recognizable buildings in the city. Just before we pulled into Union Station, I even glimpsed the top of the Royal York Hotel and its historic rooftop sign. After stepping off the train, we claimed our checked luggage and simply walked across the street to the Fairmont Royal York, where we would be spending the next three nights. Thus ended our epic train journey across Canada, an absolutely amazing experience.

Arriving in Toronto as Dusk