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Rails
and Trails
 The first transportation corridors
in Central Alberta were the rivers and their many
tributaries. A series of trails used by native peoples, fur traders and
explorers opened up the region for the early settlers and missionaries.
The original locations of Red Deer, Innisfail and Tail Creek were
determined by the river and the trails.
The more famous trails include the Calgary and Edmonton Trail (formerly
known as the Wolf's Track Trail, Bow Trail and Old North Trail), Morley
Trail, Rocky Mountain House Trail, Burnt Lake Trail, Cowboy Trail,
Explorer's Trail, Coal Trail, Boomtown Trail and First Nations' Overland
Trail.
However the most profound mode of transportation that determined the
location of communities, encouraged an influx of people from many
corners of the world and made possible the distribution of agricultural
products and the many natural resources of the area was the railroad.
 Communities were created, disappeared or relocated as a result of where
the railroads were located. The town sites of Red Deer and Innisfail
were relocated and the new towns of Lacombe, Blackfalds, Bowden,
Delburne, Sylvan Lake, Benalto, Eckville, Mirror, Big Valley and
Stettler were determined by where one of the railroads chose to build
its line, its water tanks and its grain handling facilities.
Major centres, including Red Deer, were determined in large part by where the
railroads built their divisional points. At one point, four railroads
were built or were planned to be built in nine directions out of Red
Deer. In many cases, when the railroad left, communities stopped growing
or even declined.
Trails were replaced by roads and railways abandoned many of their lines
as car travel and air travel virtually destroyed the role of moving
passengers on the prairies.
But history has a way of going full circle. More and more people want
trails in order to have an off-highway experience as a transportation
mode, for recreation and to appreciate nature, history and culture.
At the same time, as gas gets more costly, highways get more congested
and there's a greater awareness of our carbon footprint, passenger
travel by rail is gaining more attention both within urban areas and
between them.
 The construction of rural bicycle
and walking trails represent an alternate and economical form of
getting around. They link local communities, heritage sites and
recreational facilities as well as provide for a healthy lifestyle,
recreation and an appreciation of natural areas and our agricultural
roots. In addition, they are necessary for the safety of our children
and youth by providing an alternative to walking or bicycling on busy
and dangerous highways.
 While some trails can be dedicated to walkers, runners and bicyclists,
other trails could be dedicated to snowmobiles, off-road vehicles and/or
horses, depending on the needs and efforts of communities and interest
groups.
The Trans Canada Trail in central Alberta, when built, will generally
follow the Calgary and Edmonton Trail along the Highway 2A corridor.
Already excellent trail systems exist in Red Deer, Innisfail, Lacombe
and Ponoka, rural links need to be extended
to Innisfail to the south and to Lacombe and Ponoka to the north.
Sections are being planned and some could be built in 2009 including the
section between Springbrook and Penhold.
Additional trail corridors may to be established from Red Deer to
Sylvan Lake in the west and to the Delburne area in the east. Further
trail corridors may then be established along the
Medicine River to Glennifer Lake, the Boomtown Trail along Highway 21
and west from Sylvan Lake to Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg in some
cases using abandoned rail lines or original trails. Further
down the road, more trails could develop with linkages to Pine Lake,
Buffalo Lake and Gull Lake.
As the population of the region grows with migration of people from
areas where a high level of public transit is normal, as the resident
population ages, and as the cost of fuel increases, there will be an
increasing trend to use alternative transportation if it is available,
efficient and environmentally-friendly. Dedicated right of ways need to
be established that could some day evolve into a mass transit system
like light commuter rail or street cars.
 For longer distances,
a proposed
high speed train between Calgary and Edmonton could whisk people between
the two major centres in as little as 85 minutes. A Red Deer terminal
site has yet to be determined but one option is an intermodal terminal
at the Red Deer Regional Airport. An integration between those two modes of travel
could be
very beneficial to the growth and economy of the region providing that
an efficient feeder system is established from downtown Red Deer and
surrounding communities to the terminal. Rights of way need to be
determined in the very near future for various forms of rapid public
transportation.
Historic Trails in Central Alberta
The Calgary and Edmonton Trail
The Railway History of Red
Deer and Central Alberta
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway
(Canadian Pacific)
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway
near Red Deer
(Canadian Pacific)
The Alberta Central Railway
(abandoned Canadian Pacific)
The Canadian Northern
Western Railroad (Canadian National Brazeau sub)
The Canadian Northern Railroad
(Canadian National)
Railway Heritage Preservation
in Central Alberta
The Alberta Central Heritage Model
Rail Project
'Moving People by Rail' Themed
Community Proposal
Historic Rail Background
for 'Moving People by Rail'
The Vision of Inter-Urban Rapid
Passenger Transportation Corridors in Alberta
Progress on the
Completion of the Trans Canada Trail in Central Alberta
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