North to Alaska

We are off. Uber to Rochester bus stop. No building, just a street pickup. Bus was 90 mins late, so we had to rearranged our uber time. But it all worked out, and finally on the road just before 9am. From Rochester TO Buffalo, all off the bus, to clean and change drivers. Something at the boarder crossing. We arrived in Toronto just before noon. We located the VIA rail terminal for departure the next morning then off to the Westin Harbor Hotel. Once we got checked in it was off to check out the Harbor.

Last night after getting back to hotel found this message in email. ” Hello, 

We’re reaching out about your upcoming reservation on board train 1 that is scheduled to depart from Toronto on August 26^th and travel to Vancouver. 

In light of active wildfires in areas where the train travels, VIA Rail is closely monitoring the situation as it relates to the safety of operations and air quality. As emissions from forest fires can travel large distances, all passengers, especially those who are more likely to be impacted by wildfire smoke, are advised to take proper precautions and inform themselves of the status of the air quality before departure.  

At this time, the train is expected to operate between Toronto and Vancouver. However, due to this situation outside of our control, service disruptions remain possible for trains travelling through the affected area.  

In the event that we cannot guarantee safe operation, this train might be cancelled before departure or while en route, without offer of alternate transportation. Depending on the situation, the cancellation may apply to the full trip or to a portion of the trip only. In such a case, passengers would be responsible for arranging their own transportation and/or accommodations.  

Furthermore, we will not be stopping at the following stations until further notice: Boston Bar (BC) and North Bend (BC). 

If the train does travel, it could incur a delay on route. Due to the nature of the situation, we are unable to estimate the duration of this possible delay. 

If this does not suit your needs, you may contact us before departure to cancel your reservation and obtain a full refund or modify your trip without incurring service charges at 1 888 VIA-RAIL (888 842-7245). If you have a teletypewriter (TTY), please dial 711, and ask to be relayed to 1-855-321-8421. 

We thank you for your understanding. 

VIA Rail Canada”

We canceled our train trip, and are now staying an extra two days in |Toronto, and \Vancouver. We have a flight for Friday morning. That’s it for now more pics latter.