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Great Canadian Railway Journeys: Kamloops to Banff (BBC Two Thursday 28 September 2023)

Published

2 months ago

September 27, 2023

Great Canadian Railway Journeys: Kamloops to Banff airs Thursday 28 September 2023 on BBC Two.

What is this episode about

Michael Portillo, armed with his 1899 Appleton’s Guide, boards the Rocky Mountaineer in Kamloops and travels across the spine of North America to the spa town of Banff. This spectacular trip takes him past Lake Louise and through spiral tunnels blasted through the mountains to Kicking Horse Pass, the highest point on the 19th-century transcontinental Canadian Pacific Railway line.

In his travels, Michael learns of the terrible working conditions under which the railway was built and of the many lives lost as a result. He thinks back to 1885, when the Last Spike was driven, officially ending construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. A

Michael reports for duty in the dining car of the luxury train after mingling with fellow passengers. Upon arriving in Banff, Michael uses the directions provided by Appleton’s to check into the five-star Banff Spring Hotel, which was constructed by the railway.

While in the area, he visits Sulphur Mountain, where he learns how an underground hot spring was discovered nearby in 1883 by railway workers, leading to the establishment of Canada’s first national park. After hiking to the peak and swimming in the warm waters below, he concludes his western Canadian adventure.

Series 1 Episode 9 of 15