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Great Canadian Railway Journeys: Edmonton (BBC Two Thursday 5 October 2023)

Published

2 months ago

October 3, 2023

Great Canadian Railway Journeys: Edmonton airs Thursday 5 October 2023 on BBC Two.

What is this episode about

Michael Portillo’s train journey from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Jasper, Alberta, spans a thousand miles and takes him west across the Canadian Prairie. Michael uses his 1899 Appleton’s guide to discover Edmonton, Alberta’s second city and an oil hub. On the North Saskatchewan River’s banks, he goes back in time 300 years to live as “les voyageurs,” the Canadian settlers who traversed the country on foot and canoe to trade furs with indigenous people for export to Europe.

Michael is impressed by the Radial Railway Society’s efforts to preserve Edmonton’s early 20th-century heritage streetcars and jumps at the chance to ride one across a breathtaking high-level bridge over the North Saskatchewan River. Michael learns how a crucial ceremonial omission was ingeniously made good – with some curious bric-a-brac – at the stunning Alberta Legislature building, constructed in 1913. The city takes great pride in its cutting-edge light rail system, which provides quick transportation for 80 million riders annually. Michael learns about the ambitious plans of this expanding metropolis.

Series 1 Episode 14 of 15