Island Rail is celebrating its 130th anniversary in 2016 and has had a colourful and controversial history.
Originally known as the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway, the line was completed in August of 1886, but its history dates back to B.C. incorporation to Canada in 1871.
“It was a promise made to the colony of B.C. to get them to join Canada and it was delayed and delayed and delayed and [the contract] was given to one person, which was seen as terrible,” said Christine Meutzner, Nanaimo Community Archives’ manager.
Meutzner said B.C. was not going to join unless there was rail and with the delays, there were even threats of B.C. breaking away from Canada.
“I don’t know if it was just sabre rattling or not, that’s a whole other huge [part] of history,” said Meutzner.
The line was incorporated on Sept. 27, 1883 by Sir Robert Dunsmuir, a Victoria coal businessman, to aid the Royal naval base at Esquimalt and coal transportation. Back in those days, there weren’t requests for proposals and tenders.
People were annoyed that one man essentially ended up getting the lands, which is a large portion of the Island, said Meutzner.
The anniversary will be commemorated with a two-day event at the train station in Nanaimo April 8-9.
As part of the celebration, a heritage steamliner train will be brought in to run hour-long trips between the station at 321 Selby St. to Wellington, near Long Lake, on April 8, with departure times at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tours of the train will be provided between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on April 9 at the station.
Tickets for the train trip are $25 and passengers are asked to show up 20 minutes before departure.
“I do think it’s an important part of Island history because it’s kind of a linchpin thing,” said Meutzner.
“It’s kind of a thing that sort of solidifies B.C.’s identity in a way. This is the story of our birth as a province.”
For more information on the event, including how to book tickets for the day trip, please go to www.islandrail.ca.
