On July 31, 1954, freelance photographer Rosemary Gilliat and her girlfriends, Anna Brown, Audrey James and Helen Salkeld, packed up Helen's Plymouth station wagon and began their 12,391-kilometre road trip across Canada.
During the next 38 days, they crossed five provinces and four states, travelling through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota, and returning to Ottawa on September 6.
Here is their amazing trip diary through 98 vintage photos.
(Photos from Library and Archives Canada)
During the next 38 days, they crossed five provinces and four states, travelling through Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Washington, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota, and returning to Ottawa on September 6.
Here is their amazing trip diary through 98 vintage photos.
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| Helen Salkeld, Audrey James, Anna Brown and Rosemary Gilliat (left to right) getting ready to leave Ottawa, Ontario for their Trans-Canada Highway trip, July 31, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown, Helen Salkeld and Audrey James stopping at Deep River (Ottawa River), Ontario. July 31, 1954 |
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| Audrey James in a tent [possibly near Temagami, Ontario, July 31, 1954] |
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| Audrey James standing at a large road sign on the Trans-Canada Highway near Kirkland Lake, Ontario, August 1, 1954 |
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| Audrey James, Anna Brown and Helen Salkeld erecting tents, Moonbeam, Ontario, August 1, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown half asleep in a tent, Moonbeam, Ontario, August 1, 1954 |
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| Downtown street in Hearst, Ontario, August 2, 1954 |
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| Supper by deserted gold mine buildings, possibly near Geraldton, Ontario, August 2, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown cooking outdoors, possibly in the vicinity of Klotz Lake near Geraldton, Ontario, August 2, 1954 |
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| Audrey James seated on the ground putting curlers in her hair, possibly near Geraldton, Ontario, August 2, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown getting out of a lake in Northern Ontario, August 2, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and Helen Salkeld on a lakeshore, Nipigon, Ontario, August 3, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown, Helen Salkeld, Audrey James and Rosemary Gilliat below an ore dock, Port Arthur, Ontario, August 3, 1954 |
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| Supper beside English River, Ontario, August 3, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and Helen Salkeld erecting tents, English River, Ontario, August 3, 1954 |
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| Audrey James overlooking a paper mill, Dryden, Ontario, August 4, 1954 |
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| Who likes washing dishes anyway...Kenora, Ontario, August 4, 1954 |
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| Highway 1 sign on the Trans-Canada Highway in Manitoba, August 4, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld (left), Rosemary Gilliat (centre), Anna Brown (right) and Audrey James (back) having a dinner in a gravel pit, possibly in the vicinity of Whiteshell, Manitoba, August |
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| Group of Hutterite girls (Christina Gross, second from the right), Headingley, Manitoba, August 5, 1954 |
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| Makeshift bath in Prairies. Audrey James washing up, Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba, August 5, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld holding a bottle of wine, Portage-la-Prairie, Manitoba, August 5, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld and Anna Brown feeding pigs, Portage-la-Prairie camp, Manitoba, August 5, 1954 |
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| Cowboys, Brandon (Manitoba), August 6, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown, Audrey James, Helen Salkeld and two cowboys, Brandon, Manitoba, August 6, 1954 |
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| A muddy Trans-Canada Highway in Saskatchewan near the Manitoba border, August 6, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown getting dressed at a campsite, [vicinity of Qu'Appelle Valley, Saskatchewan], August 7, 1954 |
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| Main street in a small town in the Prairies, Saskatchewan, August 7, 1954 |
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| Audrey James improvising on a column in front of the Legislative Assembly of Saskatchewan, Regina, August 8, 1954 |
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| Grain elevators on the prairies, Saskatchewan, August 8, 1954 |
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| Stewart Valley, Saskatchewan, August 8, 1954 |
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| Audrey James standing on the hood of Helen Salkeld's station wagon taking a photograph of the prairies, southern Saskatchewan, August 8, 1954 |
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| Audrey James walking on a bridge in southern Saskatchewan, August 8, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown at the Salkeld family farm, Eston, Saskatchewan, August 9, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld with a saddle, Eston, Saskatchewan, August 9, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown photographing horses, Eston, Saskatchewan, August 9, 1954 |
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| Boy named Chester with two Scotch collies, Eston, Saskatchewan, August 9, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld riding a horse, Eston, Saskatchewan, August 9, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and ferry operator Mr. Weekes on Lancer Ferry, South Saskatchewan River, August 10, 1954 |
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| Carter Construction, Man Standing in Doorway of Shack, August 10, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld, Anna Brown and Audrey James setting up their camp by the Oldman River, Alberta, August 10, 1954 |
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| Lethbridge fair, Alberta, August 11, 1954 |
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| Street performers, Lethbridge fair, Alberta, August 11, 1954 |
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| Audrey James and Anna Brown by the Oldman River, Alberta, August 11, 1954 |
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| Audrey James and Marg Thompson with a dog in the back of a truck, De Winton, Alberta, August 12, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld and Audrey James at Turner Valley Oil Field, Alberta, August 12, 1954 |
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| Dave Blacklock and Audrey James, Turner Valley, Alberta, August 12, 1954 |
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| Beaver Traces and Anna, Bow River, Alberta, August 13, 1954 |
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| View looking down from a hill onto residential neighbourhoods, possibly in Calgary, Alberta, August 13, 1954 |
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| Audrey James, Billy Thompson and his daughter in front of a store, High River, Alberta, August 14, 1954 |
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| On the road to the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve, Kananaskis valley, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld, Anna Brown, Audrey James, Rosemary Gilliat and the Thompson family stopping for lunch, Kananaskis, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Billy Thompson and Helen Salkeld, Kananaskis, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld, Anna Brown, Audrey James and Thompson family on a mountain, Kananaskis, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Audrey James and Helen Salkeld on a mountain, Kananaski, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld registering at the entrance of a forest reserve, Kananaskis, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown in the Rockies, Kananaskis Road, Alberta, August 15, 1954 |
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| Main street, Banff, Alberta, August 16, 1954 |
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| Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Alberta, August 16, 1954 |
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| Chateau Lake Louise, Banff, Alberta, August 16, 1954 |
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| The 'Great Divide' - Banff National Park, border at Alberta and British Columbia, August 16, 1954 |
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| Trans-Canada Highway between Golden and Revelstoke, British Columbia, August 17, 1954 |
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| Bus route ear Kicking Horse Canyon, British Columbia, August 17, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld and Anna Brown in a hop field near Kamloops, British Columbia, August 18, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and Helen Salkeld loading camping gear into a car, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld and Audrey James near Cache Creek, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Fruit can be bought at wayside stalls. This is on the T.C.H. south of Cache Creeke, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Village Store, Fraser Canyon, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Rain, Fraser Canyon, August 19, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld eating in her tent near Fraser River, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and Rosemary Gilliat writing and reading by candlelight at a camp near Fraser River, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| On the Trans-Canada Highway near Lytton, British Columbia, August 19, 1954 |
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| Woman kneeling with bow and arrow in her hands. Archery in Stanley Park, August 20, 1954 |
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| View of the Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver, British Columbia, August 20, 1954 |
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| Downtown Vancouver near the intersection of Granville and West Georgia Streets, British Columbia, August 20, 1954 |
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| Pipe band playing on ferry near Bowen Island, Howe Sound, British Columbia, August 21, 1954 |
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| Ferry at Bowen Island, Howe Sound, British Columbia, August 21, 1954 |
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| Woodfibre pulp mill, Howe Sound, British Columbia, August 21, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown sitting in an observation car on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, British Columbia, August 21, 1954 |
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| Group of people on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, British Columbia, August 21, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown reading a trail sign, possibly in Garibaldi Park, British Columbia, August 22, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown eating by a tent at a camp site in Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia, August 23, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown hugging a tree, Garibaldi, British Columbia, August 23, 1954 |
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| After the rain all belongings are spread out to dry in Garibaldi Provincial Park, British Columbia, August 25, 1954 |
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| People waiting for the train at a Pacific Great Eastern railway station near Garibaldi Park, British Columbia, British Columbia, August 25, 1954 |
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| View of the canyon near Garibaldi from the Great Pacific Eastern Railway, British Columbia, August 25, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld and Anna Brown erecting tents, August 27, 1954 |
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| The shadows of Rosemary Gilliat, Anna Brown, Audrey James and Helen Salkeld, possibly at Similkameen Valley, British Columbia, August 27, 1954 |
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| Frank Slide, Frank, Alberta, August 29, 1954 |
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| The station wagon and the prairie on [Highway 2] - Montana or North Dakota, U.S.A., August 30, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld getting her hair cut by Anna Brown, [Minnesota], U.S.A., August 31, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown at Lake Huron near Blind River, Ontario, September 3, 1954 |
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| View of downtown Wiarton, Ontario, September 4, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld at the family farm, Lucknow, Ontario, September 4, 1954 |
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| Helen Salkeld at the family farm, Lucknow, Ontario, September 4, 1954 |
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| Anna Brown and Rosemary Gilliat erecting a tent, September 5, 1954 |
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| Rosemary Gilliat in a tent, [Lake Belmont], Ontario, September 5, 1954 |
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| Pages from Rosemary Gilliat's diary, written at Belmont Lake, Ontario, September 5, 1954 |
(Photos from Library and Archives Canada)
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