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Rocky Mountaineer named one of Canada’s best-managed companies
This accolade is well-deserved. We rode the Rocky Mountaineer from Vancouver to Banff last summer and plan to ride it from Jasper to Whistler to Vancouver in 2015. It is one of the best travel experiences available in the world today.
It would be nice if they ever take control and operate The Canadian between Toronto and Vancouver including other deteriorating VIA Rail routes where they are hanging on to survive.
My wife and I rode this train from Banf to Vancouver and it was a wonderful experience.
Lock your employees out for over a year, break the union, and you be come one of the best managed companies in Canada.
The award says “best managed” not “most employee friendly.” It would be ideal if the two coincided, but we all know that’s a Disney World wish rather than reality.
This company, as all companies should be, is in business to make money not provide an employment oportunity. The employees serve the company and the only thing that the compnay owes them is a wage for their labor and a safe place to do that labor. If the prospective employees don’t like the wage and benefit package they are free to look elsewhere for their employment.
Mr. Craig’s suggestion of Rocky Mounatineer taking over the Canadian is an excellent one. If the agreement with VIA and the government can work to their favor they may be able to save this train. Which is something that VIA and the government seem either unable or unwilling to do. Congratulations Rocky Mountaineer!
Good news; but at what cost to VIA Rail Canada’s “The Canadian,” considered one of the best trains in the world? How and why did Ottawa and the provinces allow the 1990 deal between Canadian Pacific (CP), VIA, and Rocky Mountaineer that took “The Canadian” off the more scenic and populated CP line between Vancouver-Toronto, directly serving Banff and Lake Louise; pushing it to the northern Canadian National (CN) route that only hits Jasper?
It is certainly all good and well for a private group to takeover what was VIA’s initial concept for daylight travel thru the Rockies, and by injecting private capital, to successfully expand the concept. However, concomitantly, “The Canadian,” which used to operate daily, has been reduced to but 2 days/week for most of the year, due to the revenue drain imposed on its re-routing off the Banff/Lake Louise-Calgary line. An extra night now is required in what was a 3 night transcontinental trip, due to the extensive freight traffic and single track infrastructure of the CN.
Given the growth of Canada as a tourist destination from Asia, Europe, and the U.S., wiser heads should review and prevail to return “The Canadian” back to its more scenic and populated route thru the heart of the Rockies, Banff/Lake Louise, between Toronto-Vancouver. VIA Rail Canada, a Crown corporation, should have the same opportunity to benefit from this profit potential, just as the privately-operated Rocky Mountaineer has, since assuming VIA’s daylight idea–and route between Vancouver-Calgary.
As an ultimate overnight, fine dining first class sleeper train, “The Canadian” would not even be a competitor to the daylight operation of the “Rocky Mountaineer." From my experience, as recently as January, 2014, the crew on “The Canadian” is superb; the equipment spit polished; the food fresh and menus vary every meal; the cocktails as good as they come on Bay Street.