Vol. 17 No. 3
March, 1987
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Stay Safe in 87
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Third "Last Spike"
Brooch Surfaces at Ceremony
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Omer Lavallee
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Canadian Pacific's "Last Spike" brooch minus the
diamonds.
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Last September, I made my visit to Vancouver and Expo 86 by way of Calgary
and the Heritage Park annual meeting and dinner.
Between Calgary and Vancouver, my old friend John Collins ( of Ottawa ) and I motored west via the
Trans-Canada Highway, returning by way of southern British Columbia.
Our purpose was to observe train operations, and we saw a lot of action on both CP Rail and Canadian National main
lines.
While in Vancouver, we enjoyed the hospitality of the Canadian Pacific Pavilion through the courtesy of another
good friend, Fred Joplin.
Like many other visitors to the pavilion, we were impressed by the clever and original audio-visual
presentation. We overheard many favorable comments from the capacity audiences, comprised mostly, so we surmised, of
British Columbians who had postponed their visits to Expo until after the tourist season.
My return to Montreal early in October was marked by a message to call Rideau Hall, the Governor General's residence
in Ottawa. It turned out that I was invited to attend a luncheon on 7 Nov 1987 - "in connection
with the driving of the Last Spike".
I wondered whether some government bureaucrat had committed a "boo boo", and was unaware of the fact that
the centennial had been observed in 1985.
Not to worry, an invitation from Rideau Hall is not to be taken lightly, and I arrived at the "time
appointed".
It turned out that Rober Reford of Toronto, a descendant of George Stephen, Lord Mount Stephen, Canadian Pacific's
founder and first president ( 1881 ) was in possession of a Last Spike brooch, containing a fragment of the
"second to last" spike ( the one that was bent ), encircled with diamonds. Up to that point I had known of
only two specimens of this brooch.
One of them is in Canadian Pacific's possession, having been turned over by N.R. Crump, our former chairman, about
15 years ago. It was ( and still is ) missing its diamonds, but contains the spike ingot, which is its real claim to
fame. This brooch is illustrated in my book, Van Horne's Road, on page 227.
The second example of which I subsequently became aware was a larger one, currently owned by Lady Strathcona. She
wore it in 1985 during her attendance a the Last Spike centennial in British Columbia.
I had not known about the Reford pin until I arrived at Rideau Hall when I learned that this one had belonged to
Lady Northcote, the wife of Sir Stafford Northcote, one of the early directors of the company.
Before the luncheon, Mr. Reford presented the pin to the Governor General, Her Excellency Jeanne Sauve, with the
intention that it might be used to start a collection of uniquely-Canadian "Crown Jewels" to
be worn by the Governor General, as in the current case, or by his consort if the incumbent is a man.
Her Excellency graciously received the pin and wore it during the luncheon.
Among the guests were other members of the Reford family, Dr. Robert F. Legget the Canadian railway author and
historian, Dr. Bill McGowan director of the National Museum of Science and Technology, and Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
Seton, QC.
Mr. Seton, who joined the Canadian Railroad Historical Association 53 years ago, is the dean of Canada's organized
"train buffs" and a very devoted railway supporter.
This CP Rail News article is copyright
1987 by the Canadian Pacific Railway and is reprinted here with their
permission. All photographs, logos, and trademarks are the property of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Company.
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