24 June 2009
Railroaders Mark Last Spike at Feist Lake
Anne Baker chokes up on the handle of a sledgehammer, before
driving
home a ceremonial golden spike Friday, during a re-enactment on the 127th
anniversary of the completion of
the rail line between Winnipeg and Thunder
Bay.
Kenora Ontario - Railway Museum supporters took a
trip back in time Friday near Kenora Forest Products, as they marked the 127th anniversary of the line that joined grain farmers on
the Prairies with shipping yards on the Great Lakes.
Dressed in black bowler hat and suspenders, Ron Baker rang the bell and read the proclamation written in honour of the occasion.
"We wanted everyone to tell everybody, especially the young people, about the importance of the railway to the community,"
he said.
The occasion was hosted at the sawmill, rather than on the Trans-Canada near Stewart Lake, in order to encourage more
spectators. A vintage velocipede - bicycle on rails - was on display.
His wife, Anne, played the role of Jenny Fowler, as she took hold of the big sledgehammer.
"Being the only lady present, she was given this honour," Ron Baker explained, as his wife, in her best summer dress and
hat, gamely choked up on the handle and drove home the golden spike.
Speakers Ralph Webb, Lloyd Carlson, and Terry White also paid tribute to the sacrifices made by the many men, who helped build the
stretch of track through mosquito and muskeg using the unstable explosive nitroglycerin.
They commented on the many white crosses in the area, particularly near LacLu, which are in honour of the lives claimed.
Visitors to the area are encouraged to visit the railway museum in Norman, which is open Tuesday through Saturday in the afternoon. A
special model railroad is on display Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.
If more volunteers were available, they could extend the hours, Ron Baker noted.
Mike Aiken.
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