New Westminster is now part of an annual art competition that's exclusively for all things train.
For the first time since its inception in 2018, the Paint the Train competition is chugging along to New West — it was launched by the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society (FVHRS) and Arts Council of Surrey as a platform to celebrate the history of railways.
Over the last four editions, the event has expanded to being one that appreciates all rail-based transportation that have a direct connection to the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley.
This year's contest, as per the FVHRS website, invites artists to "represent their artistic view of the impact of railways (electric, steam, diesel) in the region since 1886 — the date of the first scheduled train to cross Canada from sea to sea."
The contest is an opportunity for artists to explore how the location of railway lines and stations influenced the birth of towns around them — a trend that continues even today with SkyTrain development.
"In the 1900s, when steam trains, electric interurbans and street cars were in operation, they too influenced the growth of towns where they were located. The Fraser Valley is an excellent example of place making due to the alignment of the BC Electric tracks that passed through the towns," the FVHRS website states.
"Each railway station was important and the focus of much activity from passengers and freight every day. Agriculture blossomed in the Fraser Valley and became a significant economic driver due to the BC Electric railway that made it possible to deliver milk and vegetables to the region."
In the years that followed, the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley have seen the industry evolve to include railways that move goods, freight and passengers to the rest of the continent.
It is this rich history of railroads that the contest aims to celebrate — by calling artists to submit their interpretations of the railroad culture, its past, present and future.
The deadline to submit applications is Sept. 29.
For more details, you can visit the Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society's website.
