This web page requires a JavaScript enabled browser.
 Back to Station
Bibliography

 Cordova Bay Station
 
Tales of the CPR
by David Laurence Jones
 
 Cover
 
 
The author of this latest book about the Canadian Pacific Railway worked in Windsor Station's dark archive vaults for fourteen years. Omer Lavallee being his boss and mentor during most of that period. His companion employee was Jonathan Hanna, the current CPR Corporate Historian, who opens the book with a two page foreword relating an anecdote involving Omer Lavallee and their time at CPR Archives.
 
The book comprises four chapters of short stories collected over the years from a multitude of sources. This perfect bound book is illustrated with ninety-seven black and white photographs. The cover illustration was created by Larry Stilwell.
 
Those who are familiar with CPR history will immediately recognize the following keywords which will give you a general feeling for some of the subjects covered by the author:  Imperial Limited, cowtown, Palliser, The Canadian, Royal Hudsons, ready-made farms, silk, Empress of Ireland, posters, Banff, Van Horne, Shaughnessy, Painter, irrigation district, Bassano, land, Goddamn the CPR, mural lounge, Montreal Locomotive Works, Windsor, Price, vista dome, Rogers Pass, Strathcona... and the list could go on much further.
 
Writing about The Canadian the author says "To draw attention to the thoroughly modern appearance of the ribbed stainless-steel cars and the bright, new diesel locomotives, Gyrolites were installed on top of the lead engines. As The Canadian moved along the track, these specially designed spotlights traced figure eights in the night sky with concentrated laser like beams." This section of the book is rightly named "A Potent Symbol of National Pride".
 
Without doubt, you will enjoy this trip on "The World's Greatest Travel System". Make space for it in your collection.
 
 
Book Statistics
 
Jones, David Laurence
Tales of the CPR
2002
Fifth House - Fitzhenry & Whiteside
1511 - 1800 4th St. SW
Calgary AB T2S 2S5
ISBN 1-894856-10-4
Perfect bound
8 x 10 inches
20.25 x 25.25 centimeters
200 pages
97 photographs
1 drawing
0 maps
$29.91
 
 

© Copyright 2002 William C. Slim