Garden lovers, admirers and enthusiasts, whether they be from across Canada or around the world, have even more incentive to travel the VIA Rail Garden Route this summer, as the program, now in its fourth year, is growing by leaps and bounds. Anchoring the VIA Rail Garden Route are 15 magnificent Feature Gardens, and 30, 5-Bloom (top award winning) Communities in Bloom destinations stretching from Vancouver Island to Halifax.

“In order to increase visitors’ level of garden satisfaction, this year,local garden attractions in each of the Feature Garden destinations have been added to the VIA Rail Garden Route so that travellers can enjoy the beauty of a variety of gardens in each city they visit,” said Tony DiGiovanni, executive director of Landscape Ontario Horticultural Trades Association, organizers of the Garden Route. “VIA has been bringing travellers up close to some of the most breathtaking views and beautiful landscapes across the country,” said Steve Del Bosco, VIA’s chief customer officer. “It was natural for us to collaborate with some of the country’s spectacular gardens by providing a relaxing and comfortable way for visitors to get there.”

From June 12th to September 8th 2009, travellers can take advantage of VIA’s special Garden Route ticket offers to visit any of Canada’s best known public gardens and delightfully floriferous Communities in Bloom destinations. Visitors to each participating garden along the Garden Route and the viarail.ca/garden website can enter a contest for the chance to win a round-trip for two in VIA 1 first class to Montreal in the summer of 2010.

Winners will stay at the Hôtel Place d’Armes in Old Montreal, a 5-bloom Communities in Bloom destination. At the Montreal Botanical Garden in Montreal, visitors can fill out ballots for a chance to win a round-trip for two in VIA 1 first class to Toronto in April 2010. This prize includes two nights accommodation, tickets to Canada Blooms, ‘Total Tower’ tickets to the CN Tower and dinner for two at the CN Tower’s 360 Restaurant.

For a complete listing of featured gardens, garden attractions and Communities in Bloom destinations, visit www.viarail.ca/garden

About Communities in Bloom

Communities in Bloom is a Canadian non-profit organization committed to fostering civic pride, environmental responsibility and beautification through community involvement and the challenge of a national program. For more information visit: www.communitiesinbloom.ca

About VIA Rail Canada

As Canada’s national passenger rail service, VIA Rail Canada’s mandate is to provide efficient, environmentally sustainable and cost effective passenger transportation services, both in Canada’s business corridor and in remote and rural regions of the country.

For more information on train schedules or to book a trip in the VIA system, customers can visit VIA’s Web site at viarail.ca. Passengers also can book their tickets in most Québec City-Windsor Corridor stations, by calling 1 888 VIA-RAIL (1 888 842-7245), TTY 1 800 268-9503 (hearing impaired), or through their travel agent.

For further information: Media Contacts: Carol Cowan, Zebra Promotions Inc., (416) 929-1066, zebra@passport.ca; Nadia Seraiocco, VIA Rail Canada, (514) 871-6619, nadia_seraiocco@viarail.ca

Source Link: CNW news Group

Source Link: Richard Bercuson, CBC

The B.C. government says it is considering upgrading the old E&N railway to create a new commuter rail service for southern Vancouver Island.

On Thursday, Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon announced he will commission a half-million-dollar study to look at the options for commuter rail and freight on the historic route.

Currently a VIA rail passenger train makes one daily run along the old north to south line between Victoria and Courtenay on the island’s east coast.

For years, island communities, which now own the rail bed, have pleaded for money to upgrade the tracks to provide a more reliable and more frequent service, with no result. Now, however, it seems the B.C. government has taken an interest.

“There’s growing interest in alternative forms of transportation on Vancouver Island, so the time is right to do a thorough business case analysis,” said Falcon on Thursday.

“Obviously you’ve got to do your homework before you commit hundreds of millions of dollars potentially into a project,” said Falcon.

New Democrat MLA John Horgan welcomed the commitment, saying any commuter line would pass through his riding of Malahat-Juan de Fuca, but noted the timing six months before the election.

“Someone obviously dragged Mr. Falcon kicking and screaming into this position, but I’m delighted with that,” he said.

Horgan estimated upgrading the tracks would likely cost more than $100 million.

The E&N railway — once known as the Esquimalt and Nanaimo — has a long history that dates back to 1871, when the federal government agreed to build a railway as part of the colony of British Columbia’s decision to join Confederation.

In recent years, however, the route has changed hands several times as a range of companies tried and failed to make it profitable.

In 2006, the route was donated to the Island Corridor Foundation, a registered non-profit foundation created by local municipalities and First Nations to preserve the rail corridor.

A daily passenger service is operated by VIA Rail. The route still contains several historic trestles and railway stations.