Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park, Provincial park in Fraser Valley Regional District, Canada.
Coquihalla Canyon Provincial Park lies on the north shore of the Coquihalla River about 8 km east of Hope, British Columbia. Its 100-metre-deep canyon is cut into metamorphic rock intruded by granite batholiths, and the river forms cascades and rapids through the narrow gorge. The park contains the Othello Tunnels, a series of railway tunnels and bridges built in a near-straight line through the canyon.
The Kettle Valley Railway, a Canadian Pacific Railway subsidiary, reached Othello in May 1915, and passenger service began in July 1916. Chief engineer Andrew McCulloch and his surveyors were lowered in wicker baskets to plot a straighter route, and workers excavated four tunnels (numbered 10 to 13) through solid rock. Floods in November 1959 ended passenger service, and the tracks were lifted in 1961–62.
The stations of the Kettle Valley Railway were named after Shakespeare characters, from Juliet west to Othello, a naming generally credited to chief engineer Andrew McCulloch, a Shakespeare enthusiast. Othello station stood about 100 metres before the bend into the visitor carpark and comprised a small freight and passenger shelter; passenger service began in July 1916. A section crew was based there from 1916 to 1959.
The park is open from April to October and offers a 3.5-kilometer round trip trail through the tunnels with gravel surfaces. The route is mostly level, but visitors should wear sturdy footwear and be prepared for uneven ground and damp areas inside the tunnels.
To avoid a 1.6-kilometre tunnel along the winding river, engineer Andrew McCulloch and his surveyors were lowered in wicker baskets to plot a straighter route. Workers then cut the tunnels simultaneously using cliff ladders, suspension bridges and ropes. Tunnel #12's west wall partly blew out during construction, creating the illusion of two tunnels.
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