The Canadian Pacific Railway legacy epitomizes the golden era of travel.  It conjures up a time of romance and refinement, fine silverware, damask linens and luxurious  surroundings.  More than that, it symbolizes a pinnacle of Canadian achievement that began as a railway that crossed a continent then broadened into a travel system that spanned the world.  It was the closest thing our country has ever had to an empire, an intermodal king of transportation and accommodation.

This site will one day be the ultimate tribute to the history of Canadian Pacific's passenger travel divisions. Extensive illustrations and comprehensive descriptions will provide a portal to the 1930s for visitors to take a virtual journey from Southampton to Shanghai on the CP system. 

Readers will be able to peruse their options for transatlantic crossing in a period timetable, take a virtual walk through the decks of their glorious Empress-class ocean liner and browse daily menus and lists of onboard activities. Once they arrive in Montreal they will board a luxurious transcontinental passenger train at historic Windsor station and visit the various dining, sleeping and observation cars while taking in the spectacular views as they cross the country.  Stopovers will be provided at grand CP hotels and side trips will be offered to bungalow camps in Ontario, tea houses in the Rockies.  Once they arrive in Victoria travelers will have the option of sailing up the British Columbia coast in a CPR Princess ship before heading to the Orient in a Pacific Empress.  Of course, every modern convenience will be offered along the way including CP telegrams and travellers' cheques.

No doubt after having completed their virtual journey readers will be eager to see what they can of the real thing so the site will provide up-to-date links to the historic hotels, train stations and even trains that remain in existence today.

However, it will take time to create such an all-inclusive experience.  Lot's of time.   After a few years of research I realized that this was a project of such massive scope that it would need to wait until I had retired (2030 unless I run into a generous sponsor prior!).  So for now the site will serve only as a repository for my growing collection of CP ephemera which I like to call Canadian Pacificana.   In particular I am proud to share my collection of over 200 magazine ads that often equal the beauty of the famous Canadian Pacific posters but until now have never been assembled anywhere outside of the CPR official archives.  (For a taste of what's to come, check out my original splash page.)

So please enjoy your visit and if you have any questions about the material seen here feel free to contact me at peter @ marshalltaylor.ca.

Peter Marshall
Toronto, Canada
April 2010