The Forth Junction Project

The Forth Junction Project

a visionary multi-venue major attraction proposed by the Forth Junction Heritage Society


The legacies of trails, trains and transit is an opportunity for tourism, branding and economic development linking

downtown Red Deer, the Red Deer region and all of Central Alberta



to create a major regional tourist destination that celebrates ground transportation, with specific significance of the railway,

in the economic development of Central Alberta and how it represents the settlement and growth of Western Canada


An

opportunity

The Forth Junction Project The Evolution of a Railway Theme

representing the settlement and economic development

of the Red Deer region and Western Canada

The Evolution of a Railway Theme

Existing Red Deer Downtown Icons

Red Deer CP StationProvincial Historic Resource

Red Deer CP Park Fountain

Red Deer CP Bridge

The Evolution of a Railway Theme

Existing and Developing Interpretive Icons

Alberta Central Railway Pier at Taylor Drive

‘The Arches’ Historical Outdoor Display

Historical Model RailDisplay Innisfail

Historic Railway Icons

The ACR Mintlaw Steel Trestle

The Alberta Central Railway started construction in 1910 of the steel trestle across the Red Deer River west of Springbrook near the small community of Mintlaw, completing it in 1912. It is the second longest CPR steel trestle

in Alberta (next to Lethbridge) at 2,112 feet long and 110 feet high. It last had a train in 1981, was abandoned in 1983 and

purchased by Red Deer County in 2009 as a historic resource.


Other Existing Icons in Red Deer County

Bowden CP Station at Innisfail Historical Village

Penhold CP Wood Caboose

Delburne GTP Station, Water Tower, Caboose


Other Existing Icons in Central Alberta

Roundhouse Interpretive Centre at Big Valley

Mirror CN Boxcar & Caboose

Stettler CNor Station, Town & Country Museum

Historic Railway Existing Attraction

Alberta Prairie Train Excursions –Stettler to Big Valley(with potential to expand)

Replicated Historic Railway Icons

Existing Replicated Railway Stations Reduced version of Wetaskiwin stationat Alberta Central Railway Museum

Penhold officesLacombe offices

The Forth Junction Project Backgrounder

The Calgary-Edmonton CorridorPassenger Rail Service 1954 The primary means of settlement and economic development in Alberta-- Canadian Pacific (60 years) and Canadian National (40 years)


Regional historical context C&ER (CP), ACR (CP), CNWR (CN), L&BVER (CP)


The evolution of Red Deer symbolizes how the railway acted as the catalyst for urban and rural settlement, economic prosperity, communication, social interaction and the distribution of goods throughout Western Canada

Railways built:North-South: Calgary-Edmonton Railway (CPR) South of river 1890-1990 North of river 1891-1990 Canadian Northern Western (CNR) North of river 1911-1941 South of river 1921-1961 North of river 1961-present East-West: Alberta Central Railway (CPR) East of C&E RR 1912-1913 West of C&E RR 1912-1962

Forth Junction

the interchange between the Red Deer-based Alberta Central Railway and the Calgary and Edmonton Railway, both operated by Canadian Pacific, as the major evolutionary catalyst in the development of Central Alberta

Forth Junction

Representingthe north-south andeast-west flow of settlement, commerce, industry, agriculture,transportation,entrepreneurship

1955 photo of train approaching Forth Junction from the west at a point south of current intersection of Taylor Drive and 32 Streetwith locator overlay


- promote downtown Red Deer as a

world-class centre for the celebration of the railway that acted as a catalyst for the settlement and economic development representative of Western Canada;

- preserve and integrate the trail, rail and transit heritage of Central Alberta;

- create an authentic railway-based miniature historical interactive representation of the evolution of the city and region during significant landmark periods;

- create a family-oriented activity and heritage park showing the evolution of ground transportation past, present and future in the Red Deer area;

- publish a book on the history of railways of Central Alberta


A bold vision

for a dual venue world-class major attraction for the Red Deer area with

2 attractors

unique in Canada to celebrate the region as a distribution and transportation hub


2 Unique Major Attractors plus 3 Supplementary Unique Attractors:

Riverlands Transpo Gathering CentreMajor Downtown Red Deer Multi-Use Attraction

Rail Station & Transit Heritage Resort & Family Nature Park

Forth/Tuttle-Mintlaw-Sylvan Lake Recreation Corridorincluding historic ACR/CPR Mintlaw Steel Trestle

Alberta Central Historical Model Rail MuseumMiniature re-creation of railway and regional landmarks

Replication 1/8 size of Jubilee 3001 ‘The Chinook’


Major Attractor 1 Riverlands Transpo Centre

Canada’s Only Entertainment-Heritage-Retail Centre celebrating the evolution of Trails, Trains and Transit


Riverlands Transpo Centre Distinctive Landmark and Regional Focal Pointbig, bold, fun, magic, multi-activity, interactive, 1st class Major Community and Visitor Attraction

Riverlands Downtown Red Deer


Riverlands Transpo Centre Major Community and Visitor Attractionconsistent with Greater Downtown Action Plan

Riverlands Downtown Red Deer

Riverlands Transpo Centre

Dual Atrium Entranceway with Garden Railway

- large open 2 or 3 storey entranceway - atrium - garden railway - water features - ancient and settlement trail theme

opening up into the Roundhouse Gathering Area and Shopping Centre


Community Gathering Hall

- year-round community gathering centre - adaptable central turntable-style stage - large indoor open multi-use hall with natural light - style of roundhouse and classic railway station


Retail and Service Centre

- 4-storey shopping centre - overlooking Community Gathering Hall - highly visible from the main entrance - primary economic generator for the operational sustainability of the entire centre


Tower Observation Restaurant

- 8-storey observation tower in the form of a stylized grain elevator (the skyline landmark of the prairies for 100 years) - upper observation deck for viewing the downtown and river valley- mid-level restaurant with a view on all sides of the city landscape


Distribution & Transit Heritage Centre featuring trails, trains & transit 1885-1985

- stagecoach travel along the C & E Trail- Red Deer as a major rail distribution centre of Alberta- glory days of inter-city passenger train travel- evolution of urban and inter-urban public transit


Human Mobility Interactive, Educational Amusement Park

- year-round entertainment and educational activity area for children and adults - transportation theme park - interactive activities that teach the principles of the evolution of human mobility


Centre for Future Sustainable Transportation

- options and opportunities for the future movement of people and goods in a responsible, environmentally-friendly and sustainable way - including the potential for high-speed inter-urban rail, regional rapid transit and multi-use highways

Alexander Way

Transit and Pedestrian Corridortransportation theme – Riverlands to Recreation Park

railway-themed crossing of Taylor Drive

Shuttle Service

Downtown Alexander Way Rail-Themed Shuttle Service

local transit, rubber-tired trains and shuttles for both adults and children to transport people along Alexander Way through the historic downtown east to Alexandra Park as well as west to Bower Ponds

Regional Tours

Regional Shuttles and Heritage and Culture Tours

- regional transit, Westerner Park, Red Deer College, city centre and the Railway Station and Transit Heritage Resort and family nature park, - transit connections to the airport and future high-speed rail terminal - tour buses connecting local and regional tourist and heritage attractions


Major Attractor 2 Rail Station & Transit Heritage Resort and Family Nature Park


Rail Station & Transit Heritage Resort and Family Nature Park

close to active CP Railway linewith links to regional trail systems

Canada’s only heritage railway station overnight accommodation village

Rail Station & Transit Heritage Resort& Family Nature Park

Restoration or Replication of Former Railway Stationsas Lodging and Tourist Services including Bed and Breakfast

Former stations as private residences

Grand Trunk Pacific (CN) Ardley Station in farmer’s field east of Red Deer

Potential Replicated Historic Railway Icons

Replication of Significant Historic

Railway Stations in Proposed Heritage Resort as Lodging and Tourist Services including Bed and Breakfast

Innisfail Red Deer

Sylvan Lake

Sylvan Lake

Rocky Mtn House


Attractor 3 Proposed Forth/Tuttle-Mintlaw-Sylvan LakeRecreation Linear Park

Acquire the original privately-owned, historic Alberta Central Railway right-of-way between Red Deer County Centre

and the Mintlaw steel trestle west of Springbrook for a future linear park


Proposed Forth/Tuttle-Mintlaw- Sylvan Lake Recreation Linear Park

View of ACR/CPR Mintlaw steel trestleused from 1912 to 1981 relative to former rail corridor which curves to the northeast in the top half of the photo

The Forth Junction Project Future ACR Trail

Recreation Linear Park

Long term, Red Deer County, in its Open Spaces Master Plan, has identified the Alberta Central Railway right of way as a possible linear park and

recreational trail linking Red Deer and Sylvan Lake, the biggest challenges being the crossing of Highway 11 and adjacent landowners


Attractor 4 Alberta Central Historical Model Rail Museum

Alberta Central Historical Model Rail Project

1892 The beginnings of a regional distribution centre

1913 The headiness of rail and municipal expansion; the building of the ACR and CNWR

1939 The glory of passenger service; the region prepares for war

1955 A time of transition from steam to diesel and the start of passenger service decline

1986 A time of modernization and preparation for rail relocation

The future The revival of passenger rail and regional transportation

The Forth Junction Historical Model Rail Project

Historic Downtown Red Deer Scenes

1912 photo of Canadian Pacific Roundhouse, Turntable and Water Tower in Red Deer, which were located until the mid 1950s at the current southeast corner of Taylor Drive and Ross Street

1955 photo of Canadian National Passenger Station built around 1921, closed by 1960,

which was located at the current site of the downtown Co-op Shopping Centre

The Forth Junction Historical Model Rail Project

Historic Downtown Red Deer Scenes

CPR rail yard Red Deer 1955

Gaetz & Ross 1910

Alberta & Arlington Hotels 1909

Forth Junction Project

Attractor 51/8 size Replication of the Jubilee 4-4-4 3001 ‘The Chinook’

Forth Junction Project

1/8 size Replication of the Jubilee 4-4-4 3001 ‘The Chinook’

3001 (the ‘Chinook’) was one of only 5 locomotives of this class designed by CPR specifically for ‘high-speed’ inter-city passenger service including Calgary-Edmonton

from 1936 to 1955. This class established the speed record of 181 km/h (112.5mi/hr) in 1937 that was not broken until 1976. All 5 locomotives were scrapped.


2 Unique Major Attractors plus 3 Supplementary Unique Attractors:

Riverlands Transpo Gathering CentreMajor Downtown Red Deer Multi-Use Attraction

Rail Station & Transit Heritage Resort & Family Nature Park

Forth/Tuttle-Mintlaw-Sylvan Lake Recreation Corridorincluding historic ACR/CPR Mintlaw Steel Trestle

Alberta Central Historical Model Rail MuseumMiniature re-creation of railway and regional landmarks

Replication of Jubilee 3001 ‘The Chinook’

The Forth Junction Project Phase 1

Destination and Management Studyfor Phase 1 Riverlands Transpo Centre Concept funding


A Celebration of the Red Deer Regionas a major distribution and transit centre

in the economic development of Central Albertarepresenting the settlement and growth of Western Canada

a visionary multi-venue major attraction proposed by the

www.ForthJunction.com

The Forth Junction Project

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