I took this shot of my friend at the Othello Tunnels near Hope, British Columbia. Here’s a bit of background history … The tunnels were built by the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1914, who also helped in the construction of the cross-Canada railway that was meant to link the Kootenays with the South Coast of BC. In 1914, they contained one of the most expensive railway miles in the world, at $300,000.

Back in the early 1900s, the Canadian Pacific Railway wanted a rail line linking the Kootenay region with the coast. This railway line was built over three mountain ranges in the Coquihalla Gorge, passing through five tunnels and over several bridges – known as the Othello Tunnels.