The Canadian
A Cinematic Journey Across Canada by Train
a NOMADslow.tv | VIA Rail collaboration
by Jason Rodi with music by ANTENNAE
What if your screen became a train window?
Step aboard The Canadian, VIA Rail’s legendary cross-country train, and witness a continent unfold before your eyes. From the historic cityscapes of the East to the rugged peaks of the West, this slow-television odyssey invites you to travel across Canada not in haste, but in presence.
This is not just a train ride. It is a meditation on movement, a celebration of landscape, and a reverent nod to the rhythm of rail.
Watch our 8-Minute Preview :
To mark the 70th anniversary of The Canadian, NOMADslow.tv and VIA Rail partnered to create a visual poem in motion. This 8-minute trailer distills the full 28-hour experience onto a single track, inviting you to step into the sacred pace of slow travel.
Let it draw you in. Then let the full series carry you away.
For those seeking a complete journey in a single sitting, the following 6-hour film captures the very best of the full 28-hour experience. It’s a sweeping cinematic distillation, ideal for a long afternoon in your own time zone.
VIA Rail dared to participate in this experiment in presence, and in doing so, honoured the very spirit of slow travel. This is a window into Canada as you've never seen before.
The following curated playlist presents the entire NOMADslow.tv x VIA Rail journey, from coast to coast across Canada. It begins with an 8-minute preview that offers a glimpse into the vastness of the series, followed by a 6-hour immersive film hosted on VIA Rail’s official YouTube channel. After that comes the complete 14-episode version, 28 hours of cinematic slow television capturing every region of the country. Finally, the playlist concludes with a 6-episode arc (14 hours total), edited specifically for VIA Rail as a more structured and milestone-driven format. Whether you’re sampling, travelling, or immersing yourself completely, this playlist offers multiple ways to experience the sacred pace of train travel.
Across Canada by Train | The Complete NOMADslow.tv Journey aboard The Canadian
8-Min Preview · 6-Hour Immersive Film · 14 episode Full Series · 6 episode Movement for VIA Rail
Filmed entirely aboard The Canadian, this epic 14-part series spans the full route from Toronto to Vancouver, with a bonus first episode from Montreal to Toronto. Each episode is a real-time immersion into the shifting geography of Canada, shot through train windows, paced to match the land itself.
The music is as expansive as the view. Performed live by ANTENNAE, an ensemble of over 30 musicians, the original score was composed to mirror the emotional arc of the journey.
Every frame breathes. Every note flows.
What is Slow TV?
NOMADslow.tv isn’t content to be consumed — it’s a stream of consciousness. A cinematic window with no plot, no narration, just the unfolding beauty of landscapes, light, and sound. It’s not escapism. It’s presence. A way to slow down, soften, and reconnect with the now.
Let it play. Let it change you.
What is Slow Travel?
Slow travel isn’t about reaching a destination. It’s about moving through space with intention. On The Canadian, time stretches, landscapes unfold, and the ride itself becomes a moment of reflection — a rare luxury in a rushed world.
The Music of the Land
All soundtracks were performed live by ANTENNAE, an ensemble of over 30 musicians. Each score was improvised in direct response to the journey, creating soundscapes that breathe in rhythm with the passing land.
A Window to Canada.A Window to Canada. A Portal to Presence.
This collaboration between NOMADslow.tv and VIA Rail isn’t just a film series — it’s a philosophy. A resistance to speed. An embrace of time. A poetic invitation to see more by doing less.
Stream the full journey now on NOMADslow.tv,
search for the NOMADlife.tv app on Roku, FireTV, AppleTV, AndroidTV, and mobile.
From East to West. Slow enough to notice. Still enough to remember. One moment at a time.
