My Prince Edward Island Railway Story.

My Railway story began with a vision and a connection with the CN Pensioners association council #9 in the winter of 2005

I met Mr. Trainor of the CN Pensioners along with the executive of the CN Pensioners association to discuss ideas with them about a film and new media project, which I am working on.

Water and Steam. It involved producing a film and a new media product that would tell stories about Prince Edward Island Railway workers.

Also at the meeting was Ernie Selleck, Gene Miller, Edna Watts, Robert Trainor and staff from the CN Pensioner Club.

The CN pensioners Club is located down by the harbor front. It is an old signalman's shack and it is commemorated with plaques on its walls and pictures of railway days gone by. On a sunny day in the winter the sun shines in the window. It is the kind of place where working men gather to spin yarns and share tales. Sitting dead center on the back wall is a large plaque. Gold framed and sealed with the Dominion of Canada. With the Name Sir Henry Thornton in bold lettering and dated in the early twenties. Stating the value of the Prince Edward Island Railway workers and their excellent work in the construction of the railway and the granting of this charter that represents a special tribute to these men and women. The Charter stated that a place for the Railway workers would be provided to conduct business and socialize. What a cool place -- a place steeped in history. The last train left the yard many years ago and the train whistle blows no more. However, during my first visit I could have sworn that the train was coming down the tracks at any given moment.

Robert Trainor Chaired the meeting of the CN Pensioners Association council #9.

We talked about the CN Railway workers and their legacy and service to the Island's Railway.

What immediately became apparent to me was the emotion within the room. I experienced a strong sense of sadness and I also felt the pride which these people held in their work on the railway.

I never could have anticipated the impact that this meeting would have on my life.

I did not know that I would be making history.

The story I was told lies within the core of every village and town of Prince Edward Island.

After hearing this story, I wanted to do something to help the CN Pensioners share it with others. What they told me impacts every Islander in a historical and cultural way. I knew their story was important.

In essence, the story they told me was very sad and very exciting.

Sad because the workers' work and way of life had come to an abrupt end and with it, an end to a long line of railway workers who lived throughout Prince Edward Island communities since 1871.
Sad because the children of today are missing out on a significant piece of their own history and are unaware of the railway stories of their elders who worked upon the Prince Edward Island Railway.

Exciting because it's a story about never giving up. It is about fighting, even if you are out numbered and you know that time is running out. You never quit and you keep moving forward.

I like that kind of attitude because it reminds me of my elders and the struggles they faced and overcame.

I listened to Edna Watts tell me about her life as a railroad worker. She loved working for the railroad. She witnessed the tracks being ripped up and the railway which her life revolved around, come to an abrupt end. Edna described her memories of the men in trucks who came, loaded up the trucks and just left. Edna told me she was one of the last railway employees on the island. She spoke of this loss as though she had lost an old friend.
When you listen to railway workers tell their stories of the railway, you sense they are talking about a living, breathing thing. I guess anything that provided an economic and cultural backbone to Prince Edward Island since 1871 and ran up until 1989 was indeed, a living breathing thing. Trust me friends, that meeting changed my life -- it motivated me to action.

Robert Trainor is a get-to-the-point kind of man and he wanted to hear me out fast, as I remember his words: "We are running out of time." I connected with the CN Pensioners Association through Ron MacNeil and Frank Butler on different occasions regarding the Water and Steam film which I was producing.
On one specific occasion, while I was discussing the railway project with Ron MacNeil of PEI Tourism in 2005, Ron asked directly if I had met with the CN Pensioners association. "No," I said, "But I will take the time and go see the CN club and check it out."

I also told the executive that in a previous meeting with the executive director of the PEI museum and Heritage foundation I met Frank Butler. His office is on top of Beaconsfield, a historic home located on the Charlottetown waterfront.
I informed frank that I was working on a film project and that I could use some help locating pictures, information and possibly artifacts that would help me tell the CN Pensioners' story. Frank's father happened to be a railway worker. So, when I explained the idea he immediately became engaged. He began telling me about his father's life as an engineer and explained that the railway was near and dear to his own heart. Frank then asked me if I had gone down to the CN Pensioners Association.

So, looking back it is kind of funny how events unfolded. Today, three years later I see that all historical tracks lead back to the CN Pensioners Club and to the Pensioners themselves. They are the last of a long line of railway workers that began the work of the railway back in 1871.



"I'm working on a project about the railway workers of Canada and I am starting on Prince Edward Island. I was hoping that that I could meet with the people who represent the CN pensioner to discuss my project."

"I think it's very important for me to speak with the pensioners," I said. I told him about my meeting with Frank Butler.

We agreed that the history of railway worker is forgotten on Prince Edward island and the places and the buildings have been restored but they have no signs of the people that worked on the railway. We agreed that the youth of today have no idea the the railway ever existed.
I shared my idea's to produce a film and new media project that would pay tribute to the railway workers and that I could use their help to do it.

Three years later our file has grown and so has the support to preserve and protect the legacy of the Prince Edward Island railroad workers. The railway artifacts already exist in our public archives and artifactories. Currently there are 81 thousand pieces of Content that exist in our Prince Edward Island. These artifacts are being housed.

Our need is to locate artifacts within these collections and than digitalize the content. This content will be produced and developed here on the island for students in Atlantic Canada.

The Future Generation project is working in collaboration with the City of Charlottetown. It is our hope that Charlottetown will lead the Future Generation heritage project titled "Future Generation."

The Future Generation Ad-hoc Committee was approved by Charlottetown city council in 2006 to do so.

Our first task was to meet with the Mayor and to formulate a series of meetings with provincial ministers of Heritage, Tourism, Education, and Development and Technology to gather support for the project.

The result was very positive.

In the fall of 2006 we received support from the Government of Prince Edward Island. The Future Generation project was proclaimed by the premiere of Prince Edward island as important and worthy of the provinces attention and should be supported by all MLA's and ministers in the house.

This was a great accomplishment in itself. This act on behalf of the Premier of Prince Edward island was very significant. For the very first time on Prince Edward Island the railway workers were recognized in the legislative assembly since the ownership and use of the abandoned Rail rights of Way was sold by CN and later purchased by the province.

The process to create the confederation trail excluded the CN pensioners. Today if you walk the trail there are no projects that have included the CN pensioners. It is like they never existed.
The province spends millions of dollars to buy gravel and maintenance every year but has yet to consult the pensioners on any of these projects despite the many meetings with the premiere and the ministers of the Government of Prince Edward Island.

What is sad is that as time goes on so do the people who worked on the railway. The window to get these stories is closing. I wish I could say that after three years of meetings and proposals to heritage, Tourism and technology and development and to the City we are home. But the reality is that every time we get close we are overlooked and forgotten.

I feel that a miracle is needed to open the eyes and ears of our leaders so that this heritage and culture of Prince Edward Island is not lost forever.
I am hoping that the legacy of the CN Railway workers will not be lost.

The Prince Edward Island government needs to preserve and protect this legacy of hard work.

I can only work hard to tell the people of Prince Edward Island about this project and hope they will join us in our work.

If you have comments please write

trainstories@yahoo.ca