Eating on the rails: My meals aboard VIA Rail's The Ocean

As part of my pre-Christmas travels last year, I used my VIA Preference points to knock another iconic sleeper train off my list: The Ocean.

While not a bucket-list item like The Canadian, the Ocean was still a trip I wanted to try. It's an overnight sleeper train from Montreal to Halifax. In this case, it was a little more about the destination as I was looking forward to my first non-convention trip to Halifax. But I could have flown -- I was excited for the train.

It's only natural to make comparisons between The Ocean and The Canadian, as both are VIA's flagship sleeper trains. I loved the food on The Canadian. But I knew going in The Ocean had one major difference. While on The Canadian the meals were scratch prepared onboard, on The Ocean everything is loaded and simply heated up onboard. 

The Ocean departs from Montreal, so my journey began with a corridor trip from Ottawa in business class on one of their new coaches. I got to enjoy a very tasty and substantial "snack" of a tasty cheese plate with my favourite fancy crackers, as well as some chips, a bread roll and desert. A little carb heavy, but a tasty train treat.

After hanging out in the Montreal lounge for a bit, it was time to board The Ocean. My trip was in December and it was an evening departure, so I would not get to enjoy much of the scenery until the morning. I found my cabin for two (which I had to myself, of course), met the traina attendant and for settled in. 

This is a food review and not a train review, but I'll briefly discuss the cabin. My car was one of the ones that was originally built in England for a planned sleeper service through the Chunnel to mainland Europe. The service never launched and VIA later bought the cars on the cheap. So they're a fair bit newer than the antiques on The Canadian.

There's a lower bench that folds down into a pre-made bed, and one on top that folks out of the wall for an upper bunk. I slept on the lower. My cabin also included an ensuite bathroom with a shower, which was nice to have. You also get a keycard to lock your room when leaving, which I could not do with my cabin for one on the Canadian.

Much like The Canadian, you can do the early dinner or the late dinner. Still stuffed from my cheese plate I opted for the later sitting and was seated with an young Anglo couple from Montreal who were taking the train to visit the underwear factory and museum in Stanfield. Didn't know this was a popular tourist destination but I wished them safe travels.

Here were my dinner options:

I'm very particular about my soups so I decided to start with the Caprese salad. It was fine. I mean, it's a very basic dish. Was a good starter for my meal. The picked onions were nice but they really went crazy on the dressing.

For my main I went with the (clearly farmed) salmon, with brussel sprouts and rice. It was tasty but didn't wow me. It was a good portion, and was heated properly. I was worried the beef would be overcooked; I did consider the ravioli and I would have gotten it were it served with a cream sauce instead of a tomato sauce. But Grandpa always said fish is brain food, so it was a safe choice.

One of the highlights on The Canadian was definitely the deserts. There was desert on The Ocean too. It was --- OK. It didn't wow me like the deserts on the Canadian did. In fact, if I had to summarize the food on The Ocean overall I would say it was just OK. It did the job, but wasn't an experience in the way the Canadian was.

After watching the homes of rural Quebec pass us by in the dark and noting the lack of Christmas lights, I returned to my cabin to get ready for the night's sleep. It was easy to convert into bed mode -- the attendant offered to do it but it literally took seconds to do it myself. It was a thin single, but I had more room to stretch out my arm sleeping on the one side than I did on the Canadian. I would say I'm not the best train sleeper but I did get some sleep, and napped some more during the next day.

Breakfast is come whenever, and it was fairly quiet in the morning when I wandered down to the dining car. There was more to see in the light, and the scenery was getting interesting as, having checked my GPS, we were in the far East of Quebec in the Gaspesie about to enter New Brunswick. And already running a bit behind, which wasn't surprising and wasn't really a worry.

There were three choices for breakfast, and as I was on my way to Halifax it seemed appropriate to order the Donair Frittata.

I did not have a pleasant experience at breakfast. They took my order, and I waited. And waited. And waited. I don't like to be a complainer. I'm loathe to do so. But they kept walking by me with no food. I saw people that just sat down order and be given the same dish I was waiting for. After nearly 30 minutes, I was like can I get mine please? They were like ok, sorry, thought you had yours already. I didn't say it, but you kept walking by me sitting there without food, how the heck could you think that? Wouldn't you at least be trying to clear me from the table if that's what you thought?

Anyway, finally I got my breakfast from the microwave or however they reheat it.

Again, I would describe it as OK. Fine. I liked that the donair sauce was on the side and they didn't drown it like they did the caprese salad last night. But I had a sour taste in my mouth from the poor service.

There's no observation car on this train which is sad, as there was some enjoyable riverfront scenery through this portion of Quebec. There was a lounge car which had WiFi that I hung out in for a bit, but there wasn't a bar or snacks like on The Canadian. And there was data for most of the route.

Back to the dining car a few hours later for lunch whilst in New Brunswick, and these were my options.

I like to try local dishes or dishes using local ingredients when I can, so I was immediately drawn to the Bacon and Oka Tartiflette. But first, an unmemorable soup. I think it was mushroom. I don't remember. It was soup.

This was my favourite meal of The Ocean. I would call it scalloped potatoes. Cheesy, flavourful, tasty, can't go wrong with bacon. Served with a fresh salad, Italian dressing on the side. A truly excellent lunch.

There was also a desert. It again was not overly memorable. I think it was a berry cheesecake of some sort.

And thus ended my meals on The Ocean. We got into Halifax a few hours late, after dark. I had messaged my hotel so they wouldn't give away my room. I booked the Westin Nova Scotian, which it turned out was literally connected to the train station. So that was handy. I checked in and went out for an excellent late dinner, but that's for another blog.

Overall, my thoughts on The Ocean are as follows. The Canadian is a tourist train, designed for bucket listers wanting to experience the majesty of Canada. The Ocean is more a commuter train, for people travelling to see family, students going home for the holidays, etc. So they aren't directly comparable experiences. It was fine. Like The Canadian, I did this trip on points. While I'm glad to have had the experience, next time I'll just fly. I did love Halifax.

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Day 5 on VIA Rail's The Canadian: Vancouver at last

Day five of my transcontinental journey began in my home province of British Columbia, with the Rocky Mountains having passed behind us in the darkness of night. Which, without any city lights, is really dark. As I lifted the shades for my glimpse of home I was greeted with -- a graffiti-emblazoned freight train in the Kamloops rail yard.

Thankfully, it would get better. This part of BC always reminds me of Montana, and as we chugged out of the yard I was greeted by the hilly, rocky, brown terrain of the BC Interior. And lots of water, from lakes to the Thompson River, which flows into the Fraser River all the way to the Lower Mainland.

I went down the train for one last breakfast -- usually its served almost on arrival to Vancouver early morning. But we're still about eight hours behind schedule, so we'd get one more meal after this. I opted for the banana pecan pancakes with real maple syrup. Inexplicably they had no pecans, but the pancakes were still banana-y and delish. And as it was my last breakfast onboard I got two proteins -- bacon AND sausage. Living the dream. Train calories don't count, right?

While bummed to have missed most of the Rockies, usually this stretch through BC would be in the dark Westbound, with arrival in Vancouver around 8AM. So to see BC in the day was an opportunity, and really was a treat.

We followed the Thompson River until it flowed into the Fraser -- these are the rivers that built BC. They spawn the salmon that supported Indigenous communities and later vibrant commercial and spots industries as well. They supported the mighty BC forestry sector, floating logs downriver in the early days.

We got to see where the Thompson flows into the Fraser, each river a different colour as they meet before eventually blending together further downstream.

For many miles, the CN and CPR tracks ran on parallel sides of the river. We went through tunnels and by water falls. We passed by Hell's Gate, where a sudden narrowing of the river due to a rock slide caused by track construction was an early ecological disaster, at a heavy cost to salmon migration. 

It was a pleasure to watch as the landscape changed from barren to forested, from brown to green, reminding me of the diversity of my home province. 

We had a bonus lunch, as this was an unplanned for meal. During our extended stop in Saskatoon the chef went foraging for extra supplies, and we were presented with an impromptu menu to our amusement.

They had lunch covered, though they told me with a laugh they'd have had a hard time if they had to serve dinner as well. Impressive though they could still provide four options, including a veg. I went with the beef on a bun -- the cheese shred was an interesting choice but overall I enjoyed it a lot. Both our dining car crews were amazing, from the chefs to the wait staff, and they all earned their optional tips.

Over lunch we made it to the Fraser Valley, passing through Chilliwack and into BC's agricultural heartland. Farm fields would give way to signs of the forestry industry coming into Surrey, crossing the Fraser into New Westminster and finally a round about route to back into Vancouver station around 4PM. 

And just like that it was over as I deboarded the train for the final time, looking back before I went to get an Uber to Horseshoe Bay and a ferry to Vancouver Island. Rushing to catch a sailing, like all good BCers do.

I'm so glad I had this experience. I'm not sure I would do it at the cash price, but if circumstances allowed I would totally do it again. Despite all my research and videos watched, it still defied my expectations.

I brought many snacks and podcasts and e-books to entertain me. Didn't need them. First of all, they fed us so much I was never hungry. Time slows down on the train. You'd linger over a meal, talking with the strangers you're sat with, not realizing nearly two hours have passed. And it's amazing how the days can fly by just enjoying the scenery out the window. 

From the lakes of cottage country to the woods of Northern Ontario, from the plains of the prairies to the snow-capped peaks of the Rockies, on down along the mighty rivers of BC, Canada is a huge and varied and beautiful country.

And I met many interesting people, and managed to avoid any political debates despite the first part of every new conversation being what do you do, and the answer being I work for an MP. I didn't offer what party, and no one asked. 

I talked about clean energy with a businessperson travelling from Winnipeg to Saskatoon. 

About teaching and support for special needs teachers with a retired teacher from Northern Ontario. 

About the skilled trades with a guy from Edmonton. 

One retired gentleman told me he reminded me of a former mayor of Calgary -- I think he met Naheed Nenshi? He assured me it was a compliment and I took it as such. Must be the glasses?

I had two meals with a woman from Quebec City who has taken this trip nearly 200 times and speaks no English. We managed to communicate despite my atrocious grammar and limited vocabulary. She too generously complimented by French -- it made me more determined to do the French lessons we're offered at work.

I didn't care that we were late. As I said, it was about the journey. And what a journey it was. I'd do it again, though in a bedroom rather than the cabin for one. I wouldn't mind redoing Jasper onward in daylight.

Until then, a business trip to Toronto awaits. By train, of course. 

But next epic journey will be The Ocean to Halifax, to complete my coast to coast train journey. Hopefully one day soon. 

Can't wait.

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Day Four on VIA Rail's The Canadian: Onward to the Rockies

You will recall that in our last installment we were stuck for most of the day in a largely closed for the holiday Saskatoon. Thankfully, I was woken in the wee hours by the shaking of the train as we finally got the green light to pull out of Saskatoon, and I resumed my slumber glad for the resumption of progress Westward.

Day four was supposed to begin with an early morning arrival into Jasper, gateway to the most scenic part of the journey -- the Rocky Mountains. Instead of breakfast, the menu would be brunch a little latter in the morning following departure from Jasper.

Instead, we were about a half day behind, scheduled for Edmonton around midday and Jasper in the evening. The meal schedule stood though, so as we traded the prairie for oil fields I headed down to the dining car for brunch.

I enjoy a good meat pie with gravy, and while nothing fancy this did hit the spot. I would have gone with veg instead of hash browns though. While it's the bridge to breakfast, it made the whole meal a little carby. 

Meal done, it was back to my cabin to enjoy the Alberta scenery. And ponder which came first -- this company or The Handmaid's Tail?

But onward we chugged towards Edmonton, and a delayed connect with an old friend from Ontario, David Graham, who now works for CN as a train traffic controller -- great job for a lifelong rail fan like him. He shot some video of our train I've included in my video -- check out his site for tons of train content. Good to see you again, David!

After our Edmonton stop I grabbed a Diet Coke from Saskatoon, some pringles from the prestige bar, and snagged a set in the fancy dome car. West of Edmonton the landscape quickly changed from prairie to forest, and the flatness of the plains gave way to rolling foothills as we chugged ever closed to Jasper and the Rocky Mountains.

It was at dinner time that the scenery really started to get interesting. While I pondered between the lamb chops and the Cajun salmon (choose the former, should have done the latter) we were treated to striking mountains, and the eagle-eyed dining staff pointed out wildlife sightings. 

Love dinner with a view!

It was late evening when we finally pulled in to Jasper, with an hour and a half to explore before departure. The scenery around Jasper was spectacular. The town itself was a flatter Whistler -- a tourist town with the same stuff as other tourist towns. So I walked around, took some pictures, bought an orange at the grocery store and enjoyed it on a park bench. It was thoroughly enjoyable, an a welcome dose of vitamin C.

Oh, and I saw a bear.

As we reboarded the train to continue the journey to Vancouver, the sun was already going down. Sadly, this would be it for the Rockies for us. Because of our Saskatoon delay we would go through the most scenic part of the trip at night, and wake up in Kamloops in the wee hours.

This doesn't make me regret the trip, but the bit of the Rockies we did see coming into Jasper did only wet my appetite. I may want to try to do the Jasper to Vancouver portion again one day, to complete the experience.

Off to bed one last time. Tomorrow, my home province!

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My first day on VIA Rail's The Canadian: Toronto to Capreol, Ontario

VIA Rail's cross country "The Canadian" -- four-and-a-half days across Canada from Toronto to Vancouver -- is something that has been on my bucket list for years. I set it as an aspirational. far off goal when I opened my VIA Preference account about 20 years ago. 

I watched a lot of travel YouTubes during the pandemic, especially long-distance train journeys. The Orient Express, journeys from Russia to Siberia, across the Australian outback, and many cross-country Amtrak journeys. And I probably watch every video on YouTube about The Canadian.

This isn't a trip that's about the destination. There are much faster and cheaper ways to get to the Best Coast. It's about the journey. It's about being cut off from the Internet and cellular access for much of the time. About sitting back and watching the varied landscape of Canada go by, and getting a perspective you could never get from flying over. It's about great food prepared onboard, and meeting and getting to know your fellow travelers.

Earlier this winter with a trip to Toronto and back on VIA, I my VIA Preference points reached that aspirational 20 year-old goal. I was going to wait for a bit, but with the program terms changing in ways that would potentially make it harder to redeem, and require me to pay the taxes on a trip that, depending on the season, could be priced around $2.000, I found availability and booked a trip for Easter. Points only for a cabin for one, didn't cost me a dime.

As some background, you can book into either economy or sleeper plus. In the latter, you get meals and some kind of bed. In the former, you get a chair. That's fine for a few hours, but I'm old now and sleeping in a chair for one night, never mind five, is a no-go.

Within sleeper plus there are four increasingly expensive options: a berth, my cabin for one, a bedroom for two, and prestige class. 

A berth is a large seat where you face another person. During the day, the two seats are put together for a bed and an upper bunk with ladder comes down from the ceiling. You're basically in the hall, with a privacy curtain but no door. Only the lower berth has a window; the slightly cheaper upper berth has none. There is a bathroom and shower down the hall. No charging plugs, you need to go go the park car for that.

Next up is my cabin for one. You have a curtain and a door that locks from the inside only for more privacy, with a sink, potable water spout, and toilet/footrest, and a seat. At night, a pre-made bed swings down from the wall. Two power outlets for charging. Every review I watched or read claimed they never used the in-cabin toilet, so I will tow the party line there and say I didn't either. 

Then there's the bedroom for two. It's more space, two seats with an ensuite (separate private) bathroom and shower, with two bunk beds coming down for sleeping.

Finally, the newest luxury service is called Prestige Class. You can a big room with an inclusive stocked fridge, a TV with pre-loaded programming, a large couch in daytime mode, and ensuite bathroom with shower. At night, the couch is converted to a double-bed. They get reserved seats in the observation car, free drinks and booze, and priority dining. But at around $4K in the off season per person based on double occupancy, so $8K and way up for a couple, not at all worth it. It was sold out on my trip though, so there's a market and good on VIA. As one of the train staff told me, it means they get to have a job longer. So that's good.

So back to my first day. We pulled out of Toronto on time and began chugging North, as getting around the lakes and out of Ontario takes the better part of two days. We were quickly behind due to freight traffic, which has priority on the rails. They make the time up by reducing the fresh air stops, and so I didn't make it off the train for a breather until the next day in Sioux Lookout.

I did take a walk around the train though. There were two observation cars, one forward of my cabin and one at the back. The one at the back was the swanky park car, and the front half was reserved for Prestige travelers making it very challenging to ever get a seat. 

It was also a longer trek from my cabin, so I went to the one two cars forward, which is also where the economy and sleeper areas met. It was always each to find a seat here so that's where I hung out, until the new crew that came on in Winnipeg told me it was economy only in that observation car. I complied, but it doesn't seem right to restrict non-Prestige passengers to a handful of seats in the park car.

Anyway, the weather turned rainy as we went through cottage country and I looked for my friends' cabin as we passed by Bala. I had late dining and headed to the dining car for lunch just after Washago.

One of the interesting things about this trip is you are seated with different people. The demographic onboard definitely skewed to older retirees, some doing the trip for the first time and others veterans of many Canadian journeys. I was seated with an older couple that had gotten on in Washago. He used to work in Scarborough, and she was a retired teacher. They were going to Vancouver and then taking the next train back. That's a lot of train time for me. I'd have another meal with them later in the trip.

For lunch, a soup is offered. I didn't always take it, but on day one I did have the cream of mushroom. It was nothing special.

For my entrée I went with the shrimp and scallops, served on a bed of greens and, as most lunches were, a slice of melon. It was good but I didn't notice the scallops at first. As my dining companion noted, they were small and the shrimp was wrapped around them. It was a nice light lunch in what would be days of heavy meals.

And, of course, there was dessert. it was carrot caramel cake and it was divine.

For dinner I sat with a tradesperson who had been doing a contract in Etobicoke and was on his way back home to Edmonton. He wasn't in a hurry, so decided to take the train for fun. We also had breakfast two days later in Saskatchewan.

There was a choice of soup or salad with dinner, I went with an unremarkable onion soup.

My entrée was a delicious beef tenderloin with veg, rice (I could have picked potato) and mushrooms with a brown gravy. It was delicious. I would have liked it with a bit more pink (I'd call it medium well) but cooking it to order for everyone would be pretty impossible. 

As we dined I missed the abbreviated fresh air stop in Capreol, but the desert of salted caramel cheesecake (I misidentified it in the video) was worth staying in the train air.

It was dark at this point so I retired to my cabin to put the bed down and get to sleep. Early to bed, early to rise would be my practice on this trip and it suited me well. 

How was the bed? How did I sleep? I'll save that for next week's report on day two of my The Canadian journey, when we finally leave Ontario behind and cross to friendly Manitoba.

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