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A Bold Vision for an
Educational Experiential Regional Transportation Heritage Destination
updated September 2022 (photo
and illustration description and credits at bottom of
page)
"Without railways, there
would be no Canada"
- George Stanley (historian, author, teacher, designer
of the Canadian flag)
 The
Forth Junction Heritage Society believes that there is
an opportunity to create a series of unique, fun and
bold facilities, both as a tourism strategy and as an
educational strategy, to tell the story of how surface
transportation, especially the coming of the railway, impacted the evolution of life in Central Alberta
by developing . . .
. . . a bold
adaptable Concept Plan
featuring a 15-acre transportation-themed multi-use
heritage rail park
blended with additional complementary tourist
facilities
in partnership
with a municipality or corporation
 The
heritage rail park will
include a variety of experiential attractions, exhibits
and features including:
- replication of several styles of railway
stations as a study in railway architecture,
historical perspectives and multi-use space,
- train viewing platform with picnic and play
spaces, resource library and snack bar,
- miniature world representation of various eras
and regional locations,
- attractive environment including gardens,
water features, pathways and playgrounds.
The ultimate vision includes semi-commercial
tourist features,
blended with or adjacent to the heritage rail park, such as a
- roundhouse-shaped conference centre,
- elevated restaurant and
- railway themed accommodation
'Go
big or go home'
The vision of the Society is to promote and/or create a
unique, attractive, educational and experiential tourist destination
located adjacent to an active rail line, preferably the Calgary-Edmonton Canadian
Pacific Railway, at a site in Central Alberta that will
examine the rail and surface transportation heritage of
the region blended with semi-commercial tourism features that
would generate sufficient income to offset the cost of
maintaining the heritage rail park.
Overall
visionary concept for a
destination heritage park
* Calgary & Edmonton Railway Museum, Archive and Research
Centre;
* Replication of several Central Alberta railway station designs as
multi-use facilities
within the park and cabin-type accommodation
adjacent to the park;
* Display, interpretation and operation of historic
railway and
surface transportation equipment;
* Children's activity park, discovery learning centre, themed
playgrounds and miniature railway;
* Miniature-world historic model railway interpretive exhibits
representing several eras, locations and scales;
* Enclosed viewing platform adjacent to active rail line
(preferably
the CPR Calgary-Edmonton line)
with snack bar, library and games
room (could be blended with iconic elevated restaurant);
* Rail-related, transit and other surface transportation interactive
interpretive pavilions;
* Multi-use railway roundhouse-inspired conference or
community
centre adjacent to the park (size & shape determined by
need and
location; could be blended with transportation or children's
pavilion);
* Iconic elevated restaurant adjacent to or within the park;
* Heritage bus
tours of historical sites and facilities throughout
Central Alberta using a common marketing strategy;
* Opportunity space
to acquire closed or retired collections;
* Family activity zones, picnic areas, trails, natural
areas and
decorative gardens.
The
blending of heritage tourism and education
The Forth Junction visionary strategy
includes two components --
 - an
educational and experiential component,
operated by the Forth Junction Heritage Society in
partnership with a municipality or corporation,
and
- semi-commercial or commercial tourism facilities developed adjacent to,
blended with or in close proximity to, the Forth
Junction Heritage Rail Park to support the educational
and experiential component.
- Existing or new initiatives with a transportation heritage theme could
complement the blended approach.
The
following attributes have guided the development of this
conceptual vision:
* diversified
* unique
* world-class
* family-friendly
* aesthetically attractive
* self-supporting once built
* educational
* fun for all ages
* multi purpose
* interactive
* collaborative
Why another heritage rail attraction?
This concept plan
- provides historical and cultural perspectives
by way of exhibits and artifacts within
historically-based
structures highlighted by stories and context that explain
what made the overall region what it is today;
- has unique features that cannot be found
elsewhere in Alberta,
- has the potential to significantly increase tourism
and related economic benefits to the region;
- benefits the host community as a fun, multi-use,
attractive, educational legacy recreational park.
What is unique or special about this concept?
- replication of railway stations in one location
as interpretive centres and/or lodging
- nothing like it in Canada;
- train viewing platform along active rail line -
nothing like it in Alberta;
- transit heritage pavilion - nothing like it in
Alberta;
- operational miniature representation of railways in
local communities during different time periods and
model scales - no multi-era, multi-location,
multi-scale exhibits like it in Alberta;
- stylized roundhouse-inspired heritage conference
and entertainment centre - nothing like it in
Alberta;
- attractive family-friendly blend of heritage
education and enjoyment for the whole family - rare
in an
outdoor museum setting
Stories and Perspectives that are not sufficiently
highlighted elsewhere
- stories and perspectives of the Calgary-Edmonton
Railway and Alberta Central Railway;
- the evolution of passenger transportation in
the region;
- the evolution of rail transportation in the movement
of natural resources;
- the impact of railways, settlement and economic
development on the environment and the original
inhabitants of the region.
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The impact of the railway
in Central Alberta
It can be said that without the transcontinental railway
linking eastern Canada with British Columbia, there
would be no Canada. Western Canada and B.C. would likely
have become part of the United States without it.
It is also suggested that without the Doctrine of
Discovery, neither Canada or the U.S. would exist as it
is today.
It can also be said that without the Calgary & Edmonton
Railway and associated branch lines, Central Alberta
would not be the economic powerhouse that it is today.
The city of Red Deer would not exist in its current
location and may not have become the vibrant
distribution and transportation hub that it is. Most
towns along the Calgary-Edmonton corridor and many other
communities throughout the region would not have
developed as they did without the railway.
And yet, most people in the region under the age of 60
are unaware of this reality. As individuals often need
to know their roots in order to have a sense of
identity, so do communities and regions. Although town
museums accomplish that important role, there is none
that focuses on the impact to the entire region.
The coming of the
railway brought both positive and negative impacts.
Colonization and settlement brought with it hardship and
injustices on the indigenous people who were stewards of
this ancient land for centuries before the railway was
built and development occurred. |
Passionate about Central Alberta railway
and transit history?
Since the society has very limited resources, the
realization of this concept will require one or more of
the following three components:
1.
Gifting of land
adjacent to an active rail line (preferably the CPR
Calgary-Edmonton rail line) of approximately 15 acres between
Lacombe and Bowden, preferably adjacent to developable
land for a future tourism zone;
2.
Investment or development
by a municipality,
corporation or entrepreneur as part of an overall
development;
3.
Major donations or sponsorships by
corporations and/or philanthropists for detailed planning,
servicing and to get the first elements on the ground
such as the viewing platform, C&E station museum and
miniature world
historic display
Further donations, sponsorships and benefactors will be
required for many other projects such as artifact
repairs, park amenities, gardens, trails and future
station replications and pavilions
Donate to the
future
Forth Junction Regional Rail Park
If interested is discussing a role
in this project or becoming a member, contact us at:
info@forthjunction.ca
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Bold,
Flexible, Adaptable
The Forth Junction Heritage Society has developed a bold, flexible and adaptable
concept plan that explores the various impacts of
development with landmark multi-purpose heritage and
tourism facilities in or near the heart of Central
Alberta that
creates a major tourist attraction with ties to existing railway, trail and
transit features throughout the region.
See:
Concept of Forth Junction Heritage Rail Park
See:
Detailed Staging of Forth Junction
Heritage Rail Park
See:
Realization of the Destination Park: Models and
Scenarios
See:
Our Collection and Policies
See:
The objectives of the Forth Junction Heritage
Society
See:
Ultimate vision of blended
complementary heritage development
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The intent of the Forth Junction Heritage Society in
creating this vision is to advance the concept and
co-ordinate development of the various proposed
facilities.
It is expected that other entities will
build and operate many of the proposed commercial or
semi-commercial features of the overall vision. This
could be done by the creation of a not-for-profit
corporation, partnering with municipalities or
corporations, or development by businesses and
entrepreneurs as stand-alone tourism operations. The
Society itself plans to develop and operate the
educational and community aspects of the regional heritage park
including the various interpretive centres, exhibits,
gardens and pathways.
The Society's primary mission is to preserve, promote and share the transportation heritage of our
community and region; and to pass that heritage to future
generations in a sustainable and interactive way through education,
advocacy and nurturing a passion for the continuous evolution of
trail, rail and transit.
The Society's primary objectives are to educate the public on the evolution of the railway, historic
trails and transit in the settlement and development of Central
Alberta specifically and Western
Canada generally through workshops, displays, and interactive
interpretation and to preserve the trail, rail and transit heritage of Central
Alberta through the acquisition, preservation and restoration of
railway and other ground transportation artifacts, equipment and
infrastructure.
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Photo descriptions and credits:
Header photo: CPR Red Deer station, freighthouse,
garden 1912 (Red Deer Archives P8737);
CPR Red Deer station, freighthouse, garden 1912 (Red
Deer Archives P8737);
Possible site plan for 16-acre
Heritage Rail Park with blended added tourism zone (Paul Pettypiece);
Forth Junction Heritage Society display banner;
Possible site plan for 16-acre Heritage Rail Park
with added separate tourism zone (Paul Pettypiece);
Possible site plan for expanded Heritage Rail Park
blended with tourism facilities (Paul Pettypiece);
Former Calgary & Edmonton Railway Station Museum
replication in
south Edmonton (Paul Pettypiece 2013);
Garden at Big Valley Canadian Northern Railway
station (Paul Pettypiece 2017)
Rail park at West Coast Railway Museum (Paul
Pettypiece 2016)
Site plan graphic renderings and photos by Paul Pettypiece,
except for the historic photos courtesy of Red
Deer Archives
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