British Columbia joined confederation in 1871, enticed by the possibility of the creation of a transcontinental railway that would link the area with the eastern provinces of Ontario and Quebec.
When the final spike was driven at Craigellachie, B.C. on Nov. 7, 1885, Canada was linked by steel and it was a defining moment for the young country.
During the Great Depression, local pioneer Johnny Buchanan was one of the thousands of young men who rode those same steel rails in search of employment in troubled times.
Buchanan travelled the steel highway to a better life and a noteworthy career on the railroad in Squamish.
The Canadian Pacific Railway carried Buchanan from Manitoba to B.C. in 1933 and he helped grow the railroad industry in Squamish. Now, he will forever be linked to both the steel rails and to the railroad industry in Squamish.
On Saturday (Nov. 6), Buchanans family gathered to dedicate Track 5 to his memory during a ceremony at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park CN Roundhouse.
His daughter Isabel and son Michael said Dad would have been awestruck by the West Coast Heritage Railway Park.
Dad would just be overjoyed if he saw this wonderful facility, said Michael. I think he would be just beside himself if he could see it. He would be so proud to be associated with the park and I think its a fitting tribute to Dad.
Born in Neepawa, Manitoba in 1908, Buchanan arrived in Squamish in the summer of 1933, and promptly landed a job logging. He also signed up to become a spare worker for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) taking available jobs along the railroad from Squamish north.
He officially started with the PGE on July 9, 1933, starting off part-time as a brakeman, then rose to a conductor and eventually became the assistant superintendent for Squamish.
Among the more notable achievements in Buchanans railroad career was being the conductor on the inaugural run of the PGE from Squamish to North Vancouver in 1956.
He was also the conductor on the Royal Train for the Quesnel to Prince George segment of Princess Margarets tour of B.C. to mark the 100th anniversary of the founding of the colony in 1958.
Family was a big part of Buchanans life and he married local girl Sylvia Edwards on Aug. 3, 1934. They had three children Isabel Mary, born on Feb. 14, 1935, James Arthur, born March 27, 1936 and Michael John, born Jan. 1, 1939.
Buchanan also spent time playing semi-professional baseball for a Port Moody team in the Triangle League.
His family and friends at the rail yard were what he lived for. He considered himself a mans man, according to Michael, and he was never as comfortable in administration as he was in the rail yard so he eventually returned to the yard.
His return also allowed him to spend his lunch hour with his wife at their home, which was within walking distance.
After sharing lunch on May 6, 1960, Buchanan returned to the yard where his heart gave out and he passed away on the steps of an engine. It was a sudden end to a man who loved the railway and literally died doing what he loved.
It was the recent wedding of Buchanans granddaughter Evelyn Carson at the CN Roundhouse and Conference Centre that brought the family back together to consider immortalizing the family patriarch.
After being impressed by the history of the facility, combined with a desire to honour their fathers memory, the family approached the park and worked out a deal to have Track 5 named in Buchanans honour.
The ceremony saw family members and friends reminisce about Buchanans impact on the community before unveiling a plaque to mark the dedication.
If Dad was here right now Im sure he would say The bars open get yourself a drink, exclaimed Michael Buchanan to end off the ceremony.
Track 5 will bear his name and ensure that the legacy of Johnnie Buchanan, like the Canadian Pacific Railway that brought him to Squamish, is never forgotten.
