The history of Humboldt is, in many ways, the history of the railroad.
That connection was made clear on Monday by two significant events. The first was the dedication of a mural commemorating Humboldt's rise following the establishment of the CN rail station in 1904.
The mural extends for nearly a block along Fifth Avenue, only steps away from the rail line itself. Mayor Malcolm Eaton and others spoke about the significance of the mural's proximity to the tracks, which have been the heart of the community for over a century.
The other event, held just down the road on a sunny and very windy day, was a critical step forward in making Humboldt trail-friendly.
As part of CN's Ecoconnexions program, the company donated $25,000 to help create a 600-metre trail along the tracks. The program is designed to beautify municipalities across Canada, especially those close to rail lines. Humboldt was one of 25 Canadian communities chosen for the program, administered in partnership with Communities in Bloom. The trail will connect Centennial Park with downtown Humboldt.
"This is a big first step," said Mayor Eaton. "We are very grateful to CN."
Making Humboldt a place where pedestrians and runners have options has been the mission of Patti Durand for the past four years. Durand, the chair of the Humboldt Community Trails Committee, could hardly contain her excitement.
"It's thrilling and meaningful," she said.
When Durand first tackled the issue in November 2008, she remembered wanting to pick up a shovel and make her own trail. Then she learned the power of patience.
"It was all about planning and getting the grants we needed to make this happen," she said. Behind her, students from local schools and CN employees worked together to plant trees along the future route of the trail.
One of those who helped plant a tree was Claude Mongeau, the president and CEO of CN. The synergy between the railroad and the trail initiative made Humboldt a prime candidate for Mongeau to visit.
"This particular project is so well-designed, linking the community and the railroad," he explained. "We just thought it made sense to be at this one in particular."
Mongeau minimized CN's role, choosing instead to highlight the efforts of the city and the trail committee.
"The city and the trail committee have been doing the work, and we are just here to give that last little bit of help," he said, in reference to CN's $25,000 contribution.
Where CN will play a major role is in a planned upgrade to the rail lines in and around Humboldt. Work is expected to begin in the next few weeks and will involve improvements to the rail and sidings.
"Traffic is growing and we're going to upgrade the line to handle the new business safely and efficiently," Mongeau said in a CN press release.
It wasn't the biggest day in the history of the railroad in Humboldt. That honour belongs to the opening of the rail station in September 1904. It wasn't even the second biggest day - that would probably be the arrival of the first passenger train in May 1905.
Whatever the rank, it was another big day for rail in Humboldt, one of many that stretch back over a century.
