The late running problems with the VIA Canadian seem to be mostly east of Jasper. In my many experiences on VIA 1 and 2 I can't remember loosing much if any time between Jasper and Vancouver in either direction, and occasionally they made up time. The big problem seems to be from Winnipeg to Toronto, and at least in my experience to a lesser extent between Jasper and Winnipeg. CN seems to have big capacity issues and has no financial incentive or legal requirement to delay freights to get VIA over the road, so they don't. So in effect VIA is just another train, and some days are better than others. Apparently this summer the forest fires have just made it a bit worse. Where VIA is much better than Amtrak is in terms of on board service, the food is really good, and the lounges very pleasant. As long as you are prepared for some severe delays and tailor your expectations (and connections) accordingly, it is a GREAT ride. In terms of Amtrak only the Coast Starlight can really compare.

JBWX