Canadian Pacific, Port Metro Vancouver and the City of Vancouver have teamed up to provide winners with a unique steam train and harbour tour experience during Vancouver’s 125th Anniversary Summer Live Weekend.

Canadian Pacific and Port Metro Vancouver, signature supporters of the City’s Vancouver 125th Anniversary, invite Canadians to enter to win a chance to step back in time and explore Vancouver’s shoreline and port by steam train and harbour vessel.

Onboard the historic CP 2816 Empress steam train, and then harbour vessel, Magic Charm, 125 winners will each receive four tickets for a half-day excursion during the July 9 & 10 Summer Live weekend. The round-trip adventure will have winners leaving Waterfront Station and travelling the rails to Port Moody, then travelling through Burrard Inlet by harbour vessel to Vancouver with time to enjoy Summer Live activities in Stanley Park.

“Canadian Pacific and Port Metro Vancouver are two organizations that have played pivotal roles in shaping our city as it is today,” said Mayor Gregor Robertson. “This partnership for our 125th birthday provides a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and explore Vancouver’s beauty through a historic and meaningful perspective.”

This contest is a collaborative effort between Canadian Pacific and Port Metro Vancouver both with shared histories in the development and growth of the city.

Vancouver was named by Canadian Pacific’s President William Cornelius van Horne and a recent Vancouver Sun article concluded “no event has been more fateful to the development of Vancouver than the decision of Canadian Pacific Railway to locate the western terminus of Canada’s first transcontinental railway in Burrard Inlet.”

When combined with the port, the railway introduced the new city as Canada’s gateway to the Pacific and the foundation for Vancouver’s growing industry and enterprise. Today, Canadian Pacific remains a key player at Canada’s largest port and the nation’s economy, delivering transportation solutions across North America and beyond.

The history between Vancouver and the Port dates back to 1864 when the first export vessel, carrying lumber, sailed from Vancouver to Australia and marked the beginning of the Port’s international trade. Not long after, in 1886, the City of Vancouver was incorporated.

Today, Port Metro Vancouver proudly serves as Canada’s largest gateway for international trade, and an economic generator for Metro Vancouver and Canada. The busiest and most diverse port in Canada, Port Metro Vancouver trades $75 billion in goods annually with more than 160 trading economies.

The Celebrate & Explore Vancouver Contest is open from May 25-June 19, 2011. Winners will be announced June 21, 2011. Complete contest details and online entry are available here.