Conversations on The Road

Operated by the Canaidan Railroad Historical Association and using the brand name ExpoRail, this museum near Montreal maintains the largest collection of railway equipment in Canada with over 140 pieces of rolling stock. There are also over 250,000 objects and documents from Canada’s railway history in the collection which is maintained in an archives on the property.

The museum operates a heritage line around the grounds as well as a heritage railway which pulls a small passenger train on a former freight spur to Montee des Bouleaux. The streetcar operates daily during the spring, summer and fall while the railway operates every Sunday during the same period.

In this Conversation, we speak with speak with Josee Vallerand about Expo Rail, and a unique exhibition which helps chronicle the important role the rails have played in Quebec and Canada.

 

 Expo Rail [9:08m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

We like to share these “Journeys into” stories with you. We find them unique and entertaining. Good stuff. We hope you agree.

At the same time, this “good stuff” can mean dollars – especially to communities. These stories and narratives can be “smart community stories and narratives” – specifically as much needed catalysts for economic development – whether in the from of travel and tourism, or Main Street quality of life.

Morerover, these smart narratives can be part of a broader contenporary approach to community and communties in the 21st century – part of a “Wise Economy”

In this Conversation, we speak with Della Rucker. Della has over 17 years’ professional experience in economic development, community planning, entrepreneurship development and public involvement. An area of expertise is the preparation of comprehensive plans, market analyses, economic development strategies, community participation initiativeand other project for dozens of communities.

She adeptly can help make these important principles understandable and something that communities can use ofr both immediate and long-term tangible results.

 

 Della-1 [28:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Code Talkers is a term used to describe people who talk using a coded language. It is frequently used to describe Native Americans who served in the United States Marine Corps whose primary job was the transmission of secret tactical messages. Code talkers transmitted these messages over military telephone or radio communications nets using formal or informally developed codes built upon their native languages. Their service was very valuable because it enhanced the communications security of vital front line operations during World War II.

The name code talkers is strongly associated with bilingual Navajo speakers specially recruited during World War II by the Marines to serve in their standard communications units in the Pacific Theater. Code talking, however, was pioneered by Choctaw Indians serving in the U.S. Army during World War I. These soldiers are referred to as Choctaw Code Talkers.

Other Native American code talkers were used by the United States Army during World War II, using Cherokee, Choctaw and Comanche soldiers. Soldiers of Basque ancestry were used for code talking by the US Marines during World War II in areas where other Basque speakers were not expected to be operating.

In this Conversation on the Road, we speak with Jeremy Boucher and Zonnie Gorman from Gallup, New Mexico about the Talkers and about an exhibit at the Gallup Cultural Center that chronicled this unique and important part of our nation’s history.

 

 Navajo Code Talkers [25:17m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download