VIA Rail- Vancouver-Saskatoon
 

Which direction is preferable for the best scenery viewing- west to east or reverse?

I've only done east to west but I can't imagine it makes much difference. If you are in sleeper class there are lounges and dome cars which let you see out both sides of the train at once. I believe the schedule takes you through the rockies during daylight in either direction. The time of year matters, of course, as there is less daylight during fall and winter. It's a wonderful trip, either way.

We were going to do this trip before we settled on the Gulf Islands. The rail was just way above our budget. If you do this, please report back!!

I think its way above my budget too - am waiting for the express deals to be posted for Sept- but regular fare is $1200 one way.( senior rate) Am afraid I am going to have to fly

If you run a few tests on the VIA Rail site, www.viarail.ca
you will see that the eastbound train leaves Vancouver in the middle of the evening. That means the western mountains will be lost in the dark, depending on the time of year, but you will see plenty of the eastern side leading to Edmonton. Going west, it's a morning departure from Edmonton so the middle part of the journey will be through darkness, with the sun rising while you are in the western mountains.
Either way, you miss some of the scenery. I'd try to see as much of the dramatic Fraser River track as I could, but my orientations have faded into memory and I can't give advice on how to do it.
(A digression: I've waffled on using exact names for the mountains. B.C. citizens get twitchy about the whole mountainous barrier being called "the Rockies" as they discern a number of individual ranges. Whatever names you choose, they sure are a peak experience.)

In case you run across a seat sale, while both ways showcase beautiful scenery, I prefer going east to west for the sheer sense of excitement of the scenery to come.