Interesting VIA site on the Don Valley

[RobertInOntario]

Rob:
The Canadian now is a train from Toronto to Vancouver, running 2 or 3 days a week.
It started as a train from Montreal and Toronto to Vancouver, sections joining at Sudbury. In those days the Toronto section left through Weston and Woodbridge. After Sudbury, it travelled along the North shore of Lake Superior through Lakehead to Winnipeg, Regina, and Calgary. After VIA, it combined with the Super Continental and the Toronto section followed the CN to Winnipeg while the Montreal section followed the CP. They traded a few cars and then one followed CP and one CN (through Edmonton) to Vancouver.
When cuts were made, the CP route was lost. Briefly, IIRC, the train ran Montreal, Toronto, North Bay ... missing the whole Ottawa Valley.
There was a time when the train ran around Lake Simcoe -- missing Barrie on one of the legs. This let them avoid turning the train in Toronto. Before that, the train was looped around the CN Spadina roundhouse and coachyard. When the line through Barrie was cut, they did some odd manoeuvres near York University.

Thanks, David. This is really interesting history. One day, my family & I would like to take this train, as long as it goes through the Rockies during the daytime! (I think my wife took it about 20 years ago, and it was night when it went through the Rockies!).