The Othello Tunnels trace their origins back to the early 1900s, when British Columbia faced the daunting challenge of connecting its rugged Interior to the coast. The Kettle Valley Railway, a bold and ambitious project, was envisioned as a lifeline for communities scattered across the province’s mountainous terrain. One of the most difficult stretches lay through the Coquihalla Gorge, a narrow canyon carved by the rushing river and walled in by sheer granite cliffs.

Friday the 13th is considered lucky in Italy but I think we brought some of our Canadian juju because yesterday a drive that should have...