During the depression era on the prairies and foothills, CP Rail created a major work project to construct protective fencing along miles and miles of track to help shelter the track from snow drifting on it during winter. These “drift fences� were constructed from split cedar posts, fir rails and fir wind boards, all brought by rail from B.C. and Ontario. CP Rail demanded very specific structural criteria for these woods and it was mainly harvested from old growth stands to meet the tight grained requirements for splitting and strength. Most of these fences are long gone and most of the old railroad sidings now belong to the Trans-Canada Trail Association. Heritage Artisan Furniture has been able to reclaim some of this wonderful wood and now incorporates it into the "CP Rail" collection of fine furniture.