“When I think of trains in Northwestern Ontario, an image comes to mind
of seeing a line of railroad cars rolling around the bend above Lake Superior’s shoreline in Neys Provincial Park. As beautiful as the sight is, with the rugged, rocky landscape, the section of the
Canadian Pacific Railway was one of the most challenging spots to complete, with over $7.5 million being spent on explosives (close to $199,776,470 today) between Terrace Bay and Marathon with new immigrants from China, the British
Isles, and Europe having to endure dangerous working conditions— the park is named after a novice railroad worker who helped build the railroad through the area. Be it the stretch of railway by Neys, the old CN station on Water Street, or the glory days of VIA passenger service, trains can evoke memories of the past.

Whether it’s the past, present,
or future, our May issue is about
trains and railways. As part of the
cover story, Matt Prokopchuk looks
at the high demand for railway
conductors, Betty Carpick reflects
on the 1905 forced relocation of
Fort William First Nation to build a grain terminus for the Grand Trunk Pacific railway, Kelsey Raynard delves into the history of the short-lived Port Arthur, Duluth & Western Railway, and Sidney Ulakovic profiles local trainspotter Bryden See. Plus, Bonnie Schiedel digs into Thunder Bay’s history of rail through
a timeline and infographic.

 -Adrian Lysenko