The Crossbuck - Wainwright Rail Park

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Buffalo Adventures tours available After a successful first season, Wainwright Rail Park will again partner with the Wainwright. Buffalo National Park Interpretive Centre Foundation in hosting Buffalo Adventure Tours. Last year we hosted tourism specialists from Travel Alberta, along with other local and regional officials and guest in three hour dry run tours. Public tours will be available June 9- 15, June 23-29, July 21-27 and August 11-17. Each Adventure is led by a local resident who is either still actively working in or newly retired from the field that their Adventure covers. These are not summer students who have memorized a set speech; these are true westerners with a genuine passion for their work and their way of life. They’ll make you feel welcome from the moment you arrive and leave you wanting more on the day you have to depart for home. Current Buffalo Adventures include: Rails across the West – discover the origins of Wainwright and countless other prairie towns by visiting a railway interpretive park featuring authentic equipment Caboose, Continued from page 1 Edmonton and the green leaf and white lettering was applied. Ron Rogers at R2’s Signs made a stencil using a CN diagram for accuracy for the spelled out Canadian National under the windows. Paint work was completed and windows installed before the first snowfall last fall. Further work on the caboose interior will start in 2008. Thanks to everyone who has played a part in this project to date. CN Caboose #78492 was built in 1943 by Canadian National Railways at their Pointe St. Charles Shops in Montreal. It was built from an aging CN boxcar (# 342834), which was originally built as Grand Trunk 22634 in 1912. Photo by BuffaloAdventures.ca from the Grand Trunk Pacific and Canadian National railways. This is Wainwright Rail ParkÕs portion of the tour package. A tour of the Former Buffalo National Park and the German officer Prisoner of War (POW) camp in Wainwright, now operating as one of Canada’s most advanced military training bases. In the 1970s CN converted the car for maintenance of way use as a rider car to ferry workers from the town where a work train was tied up, to the job site. The bunks were replaced with wooden benches, the table and conductor’s chair were removed along with most other interior fixtures. CN donated the caboose to the Wainwright and District Museum in 1989, and for years it sat in the park adjacent to the museum in the former CN station in Wainwright. The Museum transferred the caboose to Wainwright Rail Park in 1996 and its move was documented in “The Crossbuck”, Spring 2007 edition. A herd of buffalo at the entry gate reflects the origins of the base, the former Buffalo National Park. Orientation for your remaining Buffalo Adventures continues at the old train station beside the main trans-Canada CNR line. Bodo Archiological dig– uncover the true Aboriginal culture of the plains at one of the richest archaeological dig sites in western Canada. Buffalo Past and Present – examine an operating plains buffalo ranch, find out how today’s buffalo wranglers go about their work, see buffalo up close, and learn about their history and habitat from experts in the field. Also sample bison cuisine and see some buffalo leather products. Kemah Ranch Ruins – step back into the past and experience life as it was on the western Canadian prairies a century ago. Food from the Land – the modern agriculture industry in harmony with nature. Tour farm land and learn how grain crops and grasses, through methods of rotational grazing, are used, in today’s food production. Also visit a working cattle feedlot. Up Close and Personal with Buffalo – see grazing wood buffalo, eat bison burgers, explore the differences between plains and wood bison and learn about the story of their conservation here in Wainwright. Jewel of the Prairies – tour AlbertaÕs largest rural neo-Gothic church and cemetery, and hear stories about the German settlers who built it by hand in 1922. Antique tractors – climb on 85 historical John Deere tractors at Glen Rock Farm and learn all about life on prairie farms in the years after the horse. To book your Buffalo Adventure visit www.buffaloadventures.ca Spring 2008 Page 2
Wainwright to celebrate 100 years of rail history Wainwright celebrates its centennial this year with many activities planned for July. The village of Wainwright was established on July 14, 1908, on land owned by The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway through it’s “Town and Development Company”. The name “Wainwright” was chosen in honor on William Wainwright, who at the time was the Second Vice- President of the GTP. The railway arrived in Wainwright on July 21, 1908. The week of July 14 - 20 has been designated Wainwright’s Centennial week, with events taking place throughout town. Wainwright Rail Park will celebrate the arrival of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (later merged in the formation of Canadian National), on Sunday, July 20. We are planning a full day of Wainwright Centennial activities Thursday, July 17 Freedom of the town ceremony – early afternoon (Town Hall) – Military Ceremony Formal Gala –Time TBA (Communiplex) Fresh Air Cinema – dusk (Wallace Park – Kinsmen Concession) Friday, July 18 Taste of Wainwright – 4:30 – 7:30 PM (Downtown) Anglican Church celebration activities at the Rail Park, including a pancake breakfast, tours of our railcars and display buildings, and a historical walking tour of some remaining footings from early railroad buildings. As a finale to Wainwright’s Centennial celebrations we will include Gilt Edge Homecoming 100 years – free parking (no hook-ups) Downtown Show and Shine, Doors Open and downtown shopping Saturday, July 19 Anglican Church breakfast/brunch Gilt Edge breakfast Party in the Park – 2 PM to 11 PM (Wallace Park) CN Safety Train “Little Obie” at the Activities, Continued on page 4 the Canadiana Musical Theatre Company’s performance of “ The Ties That Bind”. This rip-roaring, boogiewoogie, bluegrass musical celebrates how Canada's great railway tied a nation together. During the show, surveyors brave the elements, navvies blast mountains, and workers lay miles of track as they dream of a rail journey across a n e w country. The cast depicts Sir John A. MacDonald, Alexander McKenzie, Sanford Fleming, William Van Horne, Andrew Onderdonck, A.B. Rogers, and a score of others. The venue for this show has not been finalized, but we hope to have use of the Communiplex Theatre for the evening of Sunday July 20. The Canadiana Musical Theatre Company is based in Vancouver, and there are substaintial costs involved in bringing these performers to Wainwright. We are currently canvassing for sponsorships for this and other centennial activities. For further information call or email us. As a bonus, Allen Desnoyers, director of the Canadiana Musical Theatre, has agreed to the troupe performing selections from the show outdoors at Wainwright Rail Park earlier in the day. Page 3 Spring 2008
Page 1: The Crossbuck Wainwright Railway Pr
Page 5 and 6: Grand Trunk Pacific progress, summe

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