ABOUT US
The Story Of Elevation Media...
…begins back in the early months of 2007, just after the West Coast Railway Association had announced that steam locomotive #2860, The Royal Hudson, would make her grand return to steam after an extensive restoration.
Matthew Robson, who recently had graduated from the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s railway conductor program, was working as a brakeman for Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY). He began to dream of creating a documentary aiming to capture the Royal Hudson’s return to steam. With a vivid interest in the Royal Hudson since he was a child (his family would ride on the Royal Hudson steam train every summer between North Vancouver and Squamish) and a passion for filming and photography, Matthew decided that he would pursue his dream.
Matthew riding on the Kettle Valley Steam Railway
On April 12th, Elevation Media was born as it was registered as a sole proprietorship based in Vancouver, BC, with the motto “To Elevate Our Standard From the Rest.” Soon after, plans commenced for the documentary of the Royal Hudson’s first run in 8 years. Once Matthew assembled a team with the same passions he shared, filming of the event was successfully completed. In November that same year, the documentary was released on DVD and was titled “The Royal Return.” The movie was extremely popular with overwhelmingly positive feedback, and Matthew’s dream for Elevation Media began to expand…
ELEVATION MEDIA TODAY
Today elevation media has several different titles and is continuing to grow. Focusing on the railways of Western Canada, Elevation media is capturing the railway action that YOU want, whether it is mainline freight or a historical steam railroading event. Not only is Elevation Media bringing you the best in movies, but also in photography. In 2019, Matthew graduated with a certificate from Langara College for the Continuing Studies program in Photography. While Elevation Media is operated as a sole venture for Matthew, he has several friends and family who volunteer to help. Whether it be someone working another camera or an extra set of helping hands at one of the many conventions Elevation Media attends throughout the year. Without these people, Elevation Media could not exist.
"Katie Caboose" was saved from the cutting torch by Matthew and his father Don and is being renovated into a cabin on Galiano Island, BC.
ELEVATION MEDIA TOMORROW
Tomorrow brings a bright and exciting future for Elevation Media. In 2014, Matthew and his father, Don, had a unique opportunity to acquire a Canadian Pacific caboose from the Kettle Valley Steam Railway. After hearing the railway was going to scrap it, Don and Matthew jumped into action to save it. After months of planning, they successfully moved the caboose over a 400-kilometer journey from Summerland, BC to Galiano Island, BC. They are in the midst of refurbishing it into a cabin, which has been a tedious and costly project.
Matthew continues to work for SRY, now as a Conductor and Locomotive Engineer.
In 2020, Elevation Media partnered with Casual Ts Premium Apparel and Souvenirs, which is a family-owned and operated business in Alberta. They've acquired licensing from railways such as Canadian Pacific, and Canadian National, thus creating unique and quality products. No longer does Elevation Media only offer movies, but a wide variety of clothing options.