Lynda L. Lock's Blog, page 6

Day 31 of being a flea on the butt of Amazon, and now BNI Postmedia

Happy Monday, everyone:

Today's love letter from Amazon was slightly less annoying. 

Thankfully, this time I was not asked to supply the same information - again.

It's from someone who works for the Amazon Executive Relations team. I had a similar letter a week ago from a different person on the same 'team.' I responded to that one, and never heard from that person again.

Amazon seems to use a revolving system of assignments. I have never had a response from the same person twice in the 31 days of dozens of phone calls, and dozens of emails. It's damn annoying.

Fingers crossed I'll get my refund of $613.47 soon - before the stress kills me.

Lynda

Your AccountAmazon.caMessage From Customer ServiceHello Lynda L,

This is Sirisha, with the Amazon's Executive Relations team.

We received your email and are following up to ensure your concerns are addressed.

I'm sorry to hear about the problem you've had with your Order ID: 701-3222033-3269060 and 702-8656836-714263.

We apologize for the delay in answering your question. We can assure you that your question is being investigated. We are working towards providing an update to you as soon as possible.

My one-month anniversary of being a flea on the butt of Amazon, and now BNI Postmedia

 

HAPPY ONE-MONTH ANNIVERSARY TO ME FROM AMAZON! 

A pleasant person named Aparna from Amazon has sent me another form letter asking me to supply the same information that I have supplied, daily, since September 27th, through phone calls to the Customer Service line, or through detailed emails to at least 27 different Amazon Customer Service agents.  

So, in celebration of our long-standing association, I posted this on several Facebook pages.






HELLO OKANAGAN FOLKS! Just on the off chance .... BNI (Postmedia couriers) claims that they delivered my missing packages to my address in Penticton on September 24th. I did not receive them.
Has anyone, anywhere in the Okanagan Valley seen a heavy Amazon box, containing 43 copies of my mystery novel SMASHED? And there is another box that's missing, 39 copies of CORKED?
I am desperate to resolve this problem, which has been occupying too much of my time for over a month. Please message me if you know anything! It will be a huge financial hit for me if Amazon or BNI won't refund my money.
Cheers Lynda Lock, Penticton.

Your AccountAmazon.caMessage From Customer ServiceHello,

A pleasant day to you! This is Aparna from Amazon, the one who is working on your issue right now and it certainly is a pleasure assisting you today.

I'd like to make an assurance that all inquiries are reviewed and taken seriously, and we're working hard to ensure a positive shopping experience among our loyal customers like you.

Firstly, I apologies for all the inconvenience caused in regards to your shopping experience with us.
During your free time please write back via email to us with the following information: (OMG!!!)
-Order number
-Name of the item or ASIN, quantity is applicable
-Description of the issue
-Assistance you may require Or please contact us via chats or calls for a faster resolution on it.

Thanks for your understanding.
Do contact us if you have any further queries. We can be reached by phone, e-mail and chat 7 days a week using the link below.
We can be reached by phone 06.00 to midnight (local US time), and by e-mail and chat 24 hours a day: https://www.amazon.com/contact-us

We look forward to seeing you again soon.
We'd appreciate your feedback. Please use the buttons below to vote about your experience today.

Best regards,
Aparna
Amazon.caDid I solve your problem?
Yes No

A flea on the butt of a multinational megacorp, Amazon, and now BNI Postmedia

TODAY'S UPDATE DAY 30 LYNDA VS AMAZON. "Email from Amazon Customer Service: [ITEM MISSING: It appears that the Carrier has recorded your package as delivered on September 24 to the correct location with the correct weight."

Amazon now claims that the delivery company BNI says that the package was delivered to my address, even though their email to me said Undeliverable, and I physically counted the books and only received 157 out of 200.
BNI, also known as Brunswick News Inc., was owned by J.D. Irving Ltd. until Postmedia acquired it last year. The company delivers Amazon packages not just across New Brunswick, but in other provinces, including Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island.
So, now I have to fight with the BNI call centre. Around and around I go!
Missing!  43 copies of Smashed.

A flea on the butt of a multinational megacorp. Amazon part 2

AND TODAY'S RESPONSE FROM AMAZON, after one of the top 3 Amazon executives referred my problem back to one of their many Customer Service call centers.

"Hello,

I am sorry for the inconvenience caused to you for order xxx-xxxxxx-xxxxx.

Upon checking this order was created on Canada store. I request you to contact via correct store.

Thanks for contacting Amazon.

We'd appreciate your feedback. Please use the buttons below to vote about your experience today.

Best regards,"

Today is day 28 of LYNDA VS AMAZON. (Give me strength!!! 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫)

A flea on the butt of the multinational megacorp - Amazon!

 

I have discovered a new way to kill someone.

Try getting a refund from Amazon for a partialshipment that never arrived. Make that two partial shipments that neverarrived.

Amazon owes me $613.47 and they refuse to refund mymoney. It’s a devious, untraceable way to kill a person.

My blood pressure and pulse rate soar every time I open another unhelpful email from their “customer service representatives.” Amazonis trying to kill me by proxy.

The trouble started in early September when I decidedI would participate in several holiday gift markets, I enthusiastically ordereda total of 655 copies of my 10 mystery novels.

For my Canadian murder mysteries, Death in theVineyards, I ordered 250 copies of CORKED. 200 copies of SMASHED. 150 copies ofCRUSHED. These were given three separate order numbers on my Amazon account.(You’ll understand later in this article why this is important.)

For my Mexican murder mysteries, Isla MujeresMysteries, I ordered just 55 copies of the seven books because my Canadian fansprefer the Canadian series. These 55 books were given another order number onmy Amazon account.

The boxes started arriving on September 25th.Lots of boxes. Many boxes.

My books weigh about one pound, or 455 grams which isabout half a kilo. No sane person would ship an order that weighs 250 pounds inone box. Which means that the orders arrived in 22 packages. Some boxescontained 43 books, others 39, or 16, and oddly a few arrived in separate paddedenvelopes containing just one book.

And now the trouble began.

A box of 39 copies of CORKED was posted on my accountas ‘Undeliverable.’

Then a box of 43 copies of SMASHED met the same fate. ‘Undeliverable.’

There was no explanation from the delivery company whythe boxes were undeliverable. All of the other packages arrived safely from thesame printing company to my address.

Checking my Amazon account the message said to wait afew days to claim for the missing merchandise. On October 10th Itried to do a ‘request for refund’ on my account but discovered I couldn’tbecause I didn’t have anything to return.

So, I called the Customer Service line, and the realfun began.

My first conversation included an interesting bit ofadvice: “You have to return the entire shipment if you want a refund for partof the shipment.”

So, that means that I have to find the people that Ihave already sold books to, refund their money, then package up all of thebooks, and send them back to Amazon, who will then send them back to the printer.Then I have to re-order the books from Amazon, and hope that nothing goesastray this time.

Wow! That is an amazing Amazonian solution. (Not!)

Earlier in this article I said, you'd understandlater in the article why the three separate order numbers were important.

And here is the reason: When a Customer ServiceRepresentative receives a request for a refund, the Order Number and the TotalInvoice must match. There is no accommodation for multiple invoices for oneorder number. Crazy but true.

Amazon does not know how to process a partial refund.

I have been in contact with Amazon via phone calls oremails every single day from October 10th until today. Every single communicationsaid, “I was unable tofind the order you have issues with so I would request you to provide thefollowing details for better assistance.”

Recently I found the email addresses for several of thetop Amazon executives and tried sending them a letter begging for assistance.And guess what? They referred me back to the Customer Service Representatives,and their computer-generated form letters.

I have several times sent detailed letters withattached supporting documents printed from my Amazon account showing the fouroriginal orders, and the various separate invoices listing the contents of eachbox.

No joy there. I still get the standard computergeneral replies, “I wasunable to find the order you have issues with so I would request you to providethe following details for better assistance.”

So, now I am wondering.

Does anyone in this multinational megacorpactually read letters from their customers?

Does anyone know how to compose a letter without theassistance of AI bots?

Does any of the upper management know how to solve a simpleproblem that is outside the parameters of their accounting system?

I will persist...if they don’t kill me first.

Cheers, 

Lynda

Bernina’s Eventful Adventures

Bernina and I are good friends

Imet this grand old lady when I was 18, and she has been my friend for 55 years.She’s tired and is scheduled for a checkup next week, to see if we can reviveher. She is a model 730 Record, Bernina sewing machine. We have been through alot together.

Likemany females of my era, I learned to sew in Home Economics class in Grade 8,making the obligatory multi-pocket apron. As I advanced through high school mysewing projects included several dresses, then in Grade 12 a tailored plaid woolskirt and matching plaid wool jacket.

Wacky grad dress!

Usingmy mom’s old pedal Singer Sewing machine that lived in the basement of our home,I created my high school graduation dress. The tunic design and the multi-colored fabric might not have been my best choice, but when the artsy owner of the fabricstore and my creative mother ganged up on me, I acquiesced to their suggestions;their very persuasive suggestions.

Thesummer that I graduated, I was chosen as Miss Merritt, to be an ambassador forthe town of Merritt at various British Columbia festivals and events. Idesigned and sewed the costumes for myself and the three young women, referredto as princesses, who shared the responsibility of being ambassadors.

Manyevents required a long formal dress. I didn’t have a lot of money, so I made whateverI needed. Some of the dresses were cute and some were oddly formal and toomature for an 18-year-old, but again, my creative mother and the artsy fabricstore owner thought I looked divine.

A formal dressThatsame year, I moved to Penticton, living with a family that was based inPenticton, but scattered. The husband worked as a cook in the camps up north.The daughter was married and living in Michigan. The oldest son was atuniversity in Vancouver. And, the wife and younger son lived in the family home.They had extra bedrooms, and rented one to me for a low monthly rate, inexchange for minding their youngest son while his mom played bridge a fewnights a week. The mother let me use her sewing machine to create the formaldresses that I needed.

Oneyear later, Mom decided to buy me a sewing machine. I planned to move toVancouver with another Penticton girl and share an apartment. Mom went into theBernina sewing machine dealership at 418 Main Street in Penticton and purchasedtwo 730 Record machines; one for my sister Judith in Vancouver, and a portable version of the same machine for me.

Inthose days the machines, without the cabinets to house them, were around threehundred, or more, dollars. It was a lot of money for a recently widowed womanto be spending, but she insisted that we needed sewing machines. Judith’s wasin a cabinet. Mine was a portable. I was single and moving frequently and Ididn’t want to deal with a bulky piece of furniture.

Ladies and me in costumes that I made

Mynext project was curtains for the Vancouver basement suite that my Pentictonfriend and I shared for six months.

Thenfriends asked me to make bridesmaid dresses for them. A year later I made awedding dress for me, and my first husband, Sandy, requested that I make him severalcozy wool shirts.

Myportable Bernina sewing machine moved from Penticton to Vancouver, WestVancouver, North Vancouver, Bowen Island, back to Vancouver, then strangelyenough back to Penticton in 1992, when Lawrie and I bought a home and acreagehere.

Lawrie, sofa that I recoveredAllalong I sewed. Clothes. Reupholstered sofas. Slipcovered chairs. Upholstery forcars that Lawrie restored. Duvets. Curtains. Drapes. Tablecloths and napkins.And repairs of course.

Thenwhen Lawrie and I moved to Mexico, in 2007, I left my Bernina with my oldestsister, Val in Gibsons. I didn’t want to subject the machine’s delicateelectronics to the high humidity and salt at our oceanfront home. Val is afabulous seamstress, and she had several specialty machines and didn’t needmine, so it languished in her basement for twelve years.

WhenI returned to Canada, in 2020, my sister reminded me that she still had theBernina but she wasn’t using it. I retrieved it from her home, all thirty-fivepounds of it, and brought it back to its origins in Penticton. It seems thatboth the Bernina and I are destined to live in this city.

Theold girl doesn’t respond when I plug her in, and I have an appointment at thesame Bernina dealership at 418 Main Street to see if the current owner, Wes,can repair her. Let’shope she’s up for more adventures.

CheersLynda

Sparkysends his woofs!

Relearning the art of cycling

KVR Trail trestle in vineyard, Penticton Last November, I purchased a Norco Indie VLT, e-bike. I had visions of zooming with my new e-bike up the many hills surrounding my home in the Okanagan Valley, (perhaps with a lovely glass of champagne in one hand, and a plate of strawberries in the other.)

I didn't start riding until May 1st, because I am a fair-weather rider. I don't do ice, snow, rainstorms, or wind! As it turns out there are different types of e-bikes. Some that have a throttle, and some that don't. I have the latter. My Indie VLT has pedal-assist. If I don't pedal the bike will stop and, would probably fall over while I waited in stunned surprise for something to happen.

The last bicycle that I owned was in 2009, when I lived on Isla Mujeres Mexico. I only rode it for a year or two before the constant maintenance took the fun out of riding near the Caribbean Sea. Hot, salty winds can play havoc with anything metal. This out-of-condition-seventy-something body has also forgotten how tough bike riding can be on a person's private bits. Two days in, and I bought a softer gel seat. 

Using my old-school paper calendar, I've carefully tracked my progress this summer. On May 1st, I accomplished a shaky twenty minutes and four kilometers on nearby bike lanes. By May 31st, I was traveling about fifteen kilometers, from Skaha Lake to Okanagan Lake, and back. Not far, and not fast. But at least I was doing it.

On June 11th while cycling home from a fifteen-kilometer bike ride from Skaha Lake to Okanagan Lake, and back I decided to take a shortcut through the Walmart parking lot. A female Mule deer passed me! In the parking lot. Just as calm as could be walking quickly and heading in the same direction as me. My speedometer said I was pedaling at twenty-three kilometers per hour. Was she speeding?
KVR Little Tunnel view north Later in the summer, on August 22nd, I was able to cross off one of my goals—reaching the Naramata Little Tunnel, on the KVR Trailway. Built on the abandoned railway bed, the trail has a steady incline from where I live near Skaha Lake Park, all the way to the tunnel. The panoramic views of Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Naramata, and south, to Skaha Lake were worth the effort. The forty-seven-kilometer round-trip is a steady grind on the way up and a cool breezy downhill cruise on the way home.

Entrance to OK Falls on trailA week later on August 29th, I crossed off another goal—riding south to Okanagan Falls and back, via another section of the abandoned railway lines. Running along the edge of Skaha Lake, this trail is flatter but rougher, and quite narrow in some spots necessitating a bumpy detour into the weeds to bypass walkers, cyclists, or occasionally horseback riders.

Then on September 6th, I cycled on yet another section of the KVR to the entrance of the Pine Hills Golf Club on the West Bench. This trail is considerably rougher, with several small washouts. The views are fantastic. Riding this section made me realize I need to learn how to repair a flat tire.

Near Pine Hills Golf ClubSince May 1st, I've pedaled my butt an impressive 720 kilometers (448 miles) and spend 40 hours on my trusty steed, averaging about 18 kilometers per hour.

My rides have been fantastic however, the physical results have been mixed.

On the plus side:

My leg and back muscles are stronger. I'm regaining strength in my arms and hands.

I enjoy experiencing the sights, the sounds, and the smells in different parts of my community.

I love the rush of the feel-good endorphins from the physical activity.

Forgot my lock, had to peeOn the negative side:

I've done a header over the handlebars, only once though. Skinning my hands, and knees, and twisting my left thumb. I always wear a helmet, to protect my noggin.

I haven't lost any weight, not even a little bit. I haven't increased my food intake or changed my eating habits. I don't snack. I eat 90% fresh fruits, fresh veggies, and a bit of protein. It seems as if my body has gone into survival mode, storing every last calorie in anticipation of a worldwide famine, or some other catastrophic disaster that only my metabolic system knows about.

And my right foot constantly hurts from the increased physical activity. I've been plagued by arthritis in that foot since I accidentally dropped a large bottle of cheap Schloss Laderheim Reisling when I worked at the Snug Cove General Store on Bowen Island in 1980-81. I instinctively stuck my right foot out and saved the bottle from smashing on the concrete floor. Many times I have wished I could change that split-second decision and let the damn bottle break, splashing cheap wine everywhere.

1980 Lynda, Snug Cove Store

But. Who knows, maybe if I had altered my reaction to that falling bottle it would have somehow had a cascade effect in my life, and I wouldn't have had the wild adventures that I've experienced.

Maybe it was a cosmic trade-off.

Cheers

Lynda

Sparky sends his woofs!

Isla Mujeres Mysteries or Death in the Vineyards 
Available on Amazon as e-books, paperbacks, or hardcovers.
Grab your copy today!

Peddling my butt around town!

           Yesterday I bought my 5thbicycle, a fancy e-bike that will transport me to new adventures. Its lessexpensive predecessors evoke strong emotions and good memories.

At the age of three-and-three-quarters(age accuracy is vitally important to pre-schoolers) my first taste of personalfreedom came in the form of a red tricycle, a Christmas gift from my parents. Mythree older sisters, myself, and our parents, lived in Bralorne, a remotemining town located in the coastal mountains of British Columbia.

Dad and Mom 1954

Mom and Dad both worked;my mother was a waitress at the company-owned café, and my father was anunderground shift boss in the gold mine. With four growing daughters, theydidn’t have the money or the energy to participate in expensive events, yetremarkedly that year my mother scrimped and saved enough money to purchase abeautiful, midnight-blue, strapless gown for the annual Christmas party. Thetight bodice and full skirt were scattered with gauzy golden stars. 

In the photograph, my handsome dad has his arm around my beautiful 35-year-old mom as they beamedhappy smiles at the camera.

While Mom and Dad were atthe Christmas party, my 9-year-old sister Judith was tasked with babysittingme. Presumably, my two older sisters Valdine and JoAnn were occupied with theirown social activities or their after-school jobs. In any case, they weren’thome that night and Judith was in charge! Which led to one of her more interestingescapades.

Judith was notoriouslynosey about Christmas gifts for anyone in the family. She proceeded to carefullyopen the wrapping on everyone’s presents, including a large box which to mydelight contained the bits and pieces for a tricycle. Judith assembled thetricycle, let me ride it around the living room, then disassembled it andrepackaged it. All of the gifts that she’d opened were carefully repackagedbefore anyone returned home.

JoAnn, Judith, Valdine, Lynda

“Don’t you dare tellanyone!” She said, shaking a threatening finger in my face, “and act surprisedon Christmas morning!”

I didn’t breathe a wordabout her antics, and, for a soon-to-be-four-year-old, I put on a credibleperformance of surprise.

Many years later, I toldMom the story. She thought it was hilarious, that Judith had taken the troubleto assemble and then disassemble the tricycle forcing dear old Dad to spend anhour on Christmas morning putting my tricycle together—for the second time.

~

In 1961, theannouncement of the gold mine closing within the year, meant both of my parentswould soon be jobless. Part of our family moved from Bralorne to Chilliwack, afarm-based city in the Fraser Valley. Dad thought the experience of living in a city, even a small city like Chilliwack, would civilize Judith and me, give us a different perspective, and perhaps tame our tom-boy manners.

My two older sisters, Valdine aged twenty-one,and JoAnn aged twenty, struck out on their own, moving to Vancouver where theyshared an apartment, dated, and worked. By 1961, Judith was arebellious sixteen-year-old, who hated school and wanted to work or hang outwith boys. I was ten years old, completely self-sufficient, and happy to spendhours quietly reading. 

Chilliwack was where Ifirst learned to ride a proper bicycle. It was an expensive, green, Raleigh, a giftfrom my mother. I was delighted and puzzled. We weren’t rich. Mom was still awaitress, now working at The Peaks Dinner in Chilliwack and Dad was theunderground shift boss at Craigmont Copper Mine in Merritt. Dad commuted everytwo weeks (before the word was invented) from his job in Merritt to our familyhome in Chilliwack. He’d spend a few days then drive back to Merritt.

Lynda 1961

My elementary school inChilliwack was located only about a mile from our home. In the previousthirteen years, all of my sisters and I had walked a longer distance in thecold mountain temperatures from our house in Bradian to the main townsite ofBralorne to attend school. My mother’s insistence that I now needed a bicycleto get to school in Chilliwack was mystifying, but I wasn’t about to refuse hergenerous gift.

I loved that shiny greenbike. I spend hours exploring roads, ponds, fields, and pathways in Chilliwack,Rosedale, and East Chilliwack. I brought home interesting but very dead birds,wrapping them in plastic and freezing them—for later. I had grand ideas oftaxidermy. Or displays. (Mom found, and tossed my frozen treasures.)

A couple of years later Mom,Judith, and I relocated to Merritt to be with Dad. The Chilliwack experiment ofrefining my sister and me wasn’t going well. Judith had become anuncontrollable handful, too much for Mom. And my grade seven city friends werefar more advanced than me. The girls had weekly hair appointments. The boyswore shirts and ties. And they all like to play spin-the-bottle. I was completelyout of my depth.

Lynda, Stanley Park Vancouver BCFortunately, the centralpart of Merritt is flat and easy for riding so I frequently rode my Raleigh,with our family dog trotting beside me. Then I entered grade eight and I was (inmy mind) too cool to ride a bicycle.

My cherished bike gathereddust in the basement until Mom informed me, “If you aren’t going to ride yourbike. I will.”

“Noooo,” I wailedloudly, in protest. “You can’t do that! Mothers do not ride bicycles. Itjust isn’t cool.”

Whenever she saw mewalking with my high school friends, she’d yell my name, and wave vigorously asshe pedaled past—on my bicycle.  

I was mortified.

~

My third bicycle was abirthday gift from my husband Lawrie. It was my first ten-speed and anotherlevel of freedom. We were living on Bowen Island, a hilly, mountain-top thatpoked out of the chilly waters of Howe Sound. Seven Hills is a stretch of steep,winding road between Snug Cove and our home at Eaglecliff. It took me severalweeks of trying before I could master the long torturous uphill grind, evenwith a ten-speed bike. The ride down Seven Hills was gloriously fast and cool!

Lawrie, Stanley ParkWhen we moved todowntown Vancouver in the mid-1980s, I purchased a ten-speed bike for Lawrie. Wefrequently cycled with a group of friends from our condo complex, enjoying theStanley Park seawall while stopping at several pubs on our route. By the end ofour ride, a few of the inebriated participants staggered home while pushingtheir bicycles.

~

The fourth bicycle, Ipurchased second-hand for $75.00 USD while living in Mexico, on the island of IslaMujeres, in the Caribbean Sea.

It was a frustrating experience keeping a bicycle operational with the daily onslaught of humid,salty, tropical winds. One or two of the spokes broke on a daily basis. Ireplaced them with aluminum spokes. That didn’t solve the problem, it onlyslightly slowed the destruction. Brakes, handlebars, tire rims, and pedals.Everything rusted, corroded, or shattered.

Lynda, Isla Mujeres Mexico

I worked on my bike. Lawrieworked on my bike. A local repair shop worked on my bike. Eighteen monthslater, I gave it to my friend, Javier.

In the meantime, I hadcircumnavigated the island. Explored and photographed several neighborhoods.Dodged taxis, trucks, cars, motos, and golf carts. Avoided dogs, cats, crabs, babyturtles, iguanas, and a large boa constrictor that likes to roam the island. It’sstill there. Alive and well, and looking for small prey.

The other gringaswho ride bikes on Isla are fit and tanned. They casually cycle the island,looking cool and charming, while I am a red-faced, odorous, hot mess of sweat.

It was time to take abreak from the fun of cycling in the tropics.

~

My new steed! My fifth bicycle is an e-bike,purchased yesterday from the helpful folks at the Bike Barn in Penticton BC.

It costs a lot more thanall of my previous bikes added together, but I am hoping the electrical motorwill help propel my tired old ass along the many interesting trails in andaround the Okanagan Valley. 

And then I’ll need a pet trailer so that Sparky canalso enjoy the adventure.

I wonder if we’ll beable to outrun a bear on the e-bike?

Cheers Lynda

Sparky sends his woofs!

Sparky and my newest murder mystery series

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Rossland, Grand Forks, Greenwood, and back home to Penticton BC)

August 23rd: Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America. A total of 24,632 kilometers since May 1st. We're back (temporarily).

We're headed to visit friends in Surrey for a few days before finally returning to our condo on September 1st.

Cheers Lynda and The Sparkinator.

Christina Lake BC
Christina Lake BC
Grand Forks BC
Grand Forks BC


Grand Forks BC
Grand Forks BC
Grand Forks BC


Grand Forks BC
Grand Forks BC OK Tires mural

Town of  Greenwood BC
Greenwood BC

Greenwood BC
Greenwood BC
Greenwood BC
Greenwood BC
South Okanagan
Entering Osoyoos BC


Kyla - joined us as co-pilot for 6482 KMS
Lynda and Sparky 24,642 kms since May 1st 
THE END!

Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America (Fernie, Cranbrook, Yahk, and Rossland BC)

August 22nd: Sparky's Epic Adventure Across North America, Fernie to the interesting town of Cranbrook and on to Rossland BC.

Just one more night and we'll be home in Penticton BC.

Cheers Lynda and The Sparkinator

Brick House Restaurant Fernie BC
Brick House Restaurant Fernie BC
Fernie BC

















Cranbrook BC
Cranbrook BC

The Railcar Collection - Cranbrook Historic Centre

The largest exhibition at the Cranbrook History Centre is a collection of 20 railway cars of which 17 are currently available to the public. Highlights of the collection include the 7 cars of the 1929 “Trans-Canada Limited” (a classic “Jazz Era Art Deco” design), 2 cars of the 1907 “Soo-Spokane Train” (a deluxe example of “Edwardian Art Nouveau Elegance”), and the 1927 executive night car “Strathcona” which has housed many VIP guests during its time in service, including Queen Elizabeth II, John & Jackie Kennedy and Sir Winston Churchill.

These remarkable rail travel cars, comprise one of the largest collections in North America, and are in a continued state of restoration. Because of the fragile nature of this irreplaceable collection, our immediate priority is to provide a permanent covered roof to ensure these ‘deluxe hotels on wheels’ are preserved for future visitors and historians alike.

Part of the Railway Museum in Cranbrook
Cranbrook entrance


Entrance to Historic Centre Detail of inside of railway car


The Hamlet of Yahk BC

Yahk BC


Yahk BC
Yahk BC