Tuesday 31 October 2017

Tunnel vision

Mount MacDonald Tunnel on a stop while travelling through the Rogers Pass in British Columbia on October 28, 2017. The Rogers Pass was named after Major Albert Bowman Rogers who discovered the pass in 1882 through the Rocky Mountains which was crucial for the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway. It is definitely a pass through the mountains however the railway builders likely wished there was a easier route. The Rogers Pass is subject to heavy snow and avalanches with steep grades. If I remember my history the Yellowhead Pass much further north was a much easier route. The Rogers Pass was chosen as it was closer to the American border and the completion of the railway would further cement our claim to this territory. There were fears of American annexation during periods of Canadian history.

The tunnel can be seen just off the highway down a bank. I thought this tunnel was much older. It dates to 1988. The tunnel is just over nine miles long. The tunnel was built to reduce the grade for trains through the Rogers Pass. The Connaught Tunnel is nearby which is just over five miles long and was completed in 1916. The Mount MacDonald Tunnel supplements the Connaught Tunnel with trains usually going east through the Connaught and west through the Mount MacDonald. In the background on the mountain you can see that snow has started to make and appearance in the Rogers Pass.



5 comments:

  1. A 9 mile long tunnel? Wow...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Who US(A)? Pshaw, we would never invade any country we have friendly relations with (as our Pinocchio nose grows to exorbitant lengths). The last time we (the government) invaded Canada was WWII, wasn't it? The excuse was something about defending Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The post is not meant to be anti-American (and I am sure you did not read that into it). Canada's claim to the land that is currently Canada was kind of tenuous. A national railway running across the country would reinforce that claim. At the time Canada was very sparsely populated.

      Delete
    2. Didn't think it was and I apologize for making you feel like you had to defend your statement that was not my intent. I was making light of the US propensity for being pushy.

      Delete
    3. I cannot accept as there is nothing to apologize for. I know you were making light of this and I am not sensitive. I love the USA and wish we had a lot of the things Americans have and have yet to find Americans pushy. I have always felt at home when visiting the USA.

      There were times in Canadian history where Canada felt it might have been swallowed up by the USA. That was just reality.

      Delete