Four of us set out for a family adventure - tripping Via Rail Train 185 across northern Ontario from Sudbury to White River. We met up and travelled north together - my father, two sisters and I - to spend a nice night in Sudbury before the "real" trip. We even had a bit of spare time to explore Sudbury and nearby Copper Cliff, before grabbing some drinks for the room and snacks for the trip.
The next morning, we caught the train at the downtown CP rail station, across from the OHL arena and bronze Stompin' Tom statue. The train consisted of three Budd cars, also known as autocars - unlike regular trains with an engine or two pulling the others cars, these historic cars are self-propelled with their own engines. We boarded the train for the surprisingly smooth nine-hour ride to the northwest across the rugged wilderness.
The trip was extra special for us, given that my grandfather had plied these same routes nearly a century ago, by rail and by canoe, as he worked mining and fire-ranging in the North.
This train is one of the few (perhaps only) trains still offering "flag service" - people can hop on or hop off at various "stops" along the way, which are essentially places with a siding where a train could pull off to let people on or off. Most are people looking to hunt or fish in the wilderness, along with all their equipment to allow them to do so. We also had a few stops to let freight trains pass by on this busy CP line.
We didn't see as many animals as we hoped, but we were following a freight train for most of the day which may have scared them off. But I did spot a moose and an eagle, and my dad saw a small bear. We had also hoped for better fall colours, but apparently we were a bit early for full autumn glory.
After a long day enjoying the gorgeous scenery, we arrived in White River an hour behind schedule. A shuttle from the nearby motel picked up my dad and one sister, while my other sister and I walked the 1.2 km to the White River Motel.
It's not a big place, but it was nice to stretch our legs. White River is also home to the "original" Winnie the Pooh - an orphaned bear cub was adopted by a local man, who later gave the bear to the London Zoo. The bear would later be the inspiration for A.A. Milne's famous Winnie.
After checking in, we wandered next door for a nice meal and some drinks at the White River Bar and Grill, before returning to the room for some rest, baseball and then some sleep.
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