Vintage Canadian Train and Sea Postcards
One of my best thrift store finds in 2024 was a book of 19 “Canadian Travel Postcards” at the Goodwill Bookstore in London, Ontario. The postcards were from the early 20th century the heyday of train and sea travel in Canada. Fast forward to today and road and air travel are the dominant modes of travel for tourists in Canada. And the great steamships adventures have been replaced by the comforts of the enormous cruise ships.
Furthermore, postcards have been replaced by cell phone cameras that allow you to use email, text and photo share apps to communicate with others in real time.
The preface states:
“In the earlier days of Canadian railways, the arrival of a rail line initiated a town’s integration with the greater economy. No longer was travel between communities dusty, belabored, and slow. Remote region finally became accessible. Tourism grew, destination formed alongside the railroads. In the mid-1920s two companies came to dominate transcontinental rail travel: Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways.
By the time many of the posters here were designed, cars and plans had usurped the appeal of the train. Nevertheless, railway companies kept churning out posters. They were intent on attracting tourists, and not only to their trains - a wealthy traveler could book an entire itinerary, from Liverpool to the Rockies, through a single rail company that operated luxury trains, steamships, and hotels. While their posters often featured modern locomotives speeding down the tracks, they just as often advertised Canada itself – its wild vistas, villages and a quiet way of life.”
Last Word
I thought I would share with you all 19 of the postcards so you can take a quick travel back in time. I love the art, graphics and the diversity of leisure activities from golf to fishing, from skiing to sailing. I hope you will enjoy this trip down memory lane also.
I had never heard of Minaki so I looked up the Minaki Lodge Story.
I wonder what the story is behind the troll-like figure who looks like he is about to lift the steam ship out of the water. Will he carry it to safety or is he about to captured the ship?
This one is for my golfing buddies.
And one for my fishing buddies.
While it says the booklet contains 30 postcards, this one had only 19 which makes we wonder what the 11 other postcards looked like. What destinations they depicted? It is fun to speculate what hotels, attractions are missing?
