Brothers and Sisters,

It was a beautifully warm and calm January 17, 2010 when the Olympic Flame arrived in Lethbridge, Alberta. The High Level Rail bridge which spans the Old Man River valley has long been the most recognized structure in the city and to help commemorate the Centennial of the bridge, a special event incorporating it with the Olympic Torch Relay through Lethbridge was planned.

The Canadian Pacific Railway Lethbridge Viaduct was completed in 1909 and stretches one mile and forty seven feet across the river valley at a maximum height of over three hundred twenty above the river. It was renowned for many years as the longest and highest bridge of this type in the world. Although he also engineered the Spiral Tunnels of the Rogers Pass, the Chief Engineer of the CPR at the time cited the bridge as his proudest achievement, which won him many awards and much recognition among his peers.

The event involved the transportation of the Olympic Flame in a cauldron mounted on a standard railway push cart. The cart was towed by a vintage pump car on loan from Heritage Park in Calgary. The hand car was propelled by four Canadian Pacific unionized employees from the Lethbridge Terminal, who were selected by lottery for the honour of being ``Gandydancer`` for a day to transport the Flame across the viaduct to the east side of the river. From there the torch was lit from the cauldron and the relay continued through the streets of Lethbridge to the culminating event at Henderson Lake Park.

 

 

The employees selected to operate the pump car were Gord Balderson , a conductor and member of the TCRC RTE, Brian Legace, engineman and member of the TCRC RTE, Roger Brown, carman and Secretary Treasurer of the CAW Local, as well as Don Burla, Track Maintenance Foreman and Long time member of the TCRC MWED Local Lodge 205 Executive Board. Don was obviously also the only one of the group who could claim to be a true ``Gandydancer.``  Although this was not his first time to handle a pump car, he is not old enough to have done so professionally for the Railway. Combined, the group has over  116 years service with the Railway.

The group was dressed in vintage costumes and the event was documented utilizing cameras in a helicopter , as well as in the rear of a specially equipped Hirail pickup driven by TMS Darren Schmidt. Hundreds of enthusiastic onlookers crowded the site at the East end of the viaduct where the flame was transferred to the torch for the relay through the streets, as well as the many who attempted to get a glimpse of the action from the starting point at the West end of the viaduct.

The Flame itself arrived in a special lantern which was lit from the flame in Greece. The special cauldron mounted on push cart was lit from it and the ``Gandydancers``  proceeded across the viaduct. It was a very proud and exciting moment for all who attended and participated and was purported to be the first time the Olympic Flame Relay has travelled via a railway appliance ever in its` history.

The whole event illustrated how the various departments of the Railway must work in conjunction to get the job done right. It also clearly showed the natural respect, fellowship and cooperative spirit of Unionized Railway employees. It should be taken by all Rail Union members and their Leaders as inspiration toward that same principle. We all must work together toward the common good for all.

In solidarity,

Ross Terry
Vice President
TCRC MWED