Now in its 21st year, the Canadian Pacific (CP) trains festooned with Christmas lights and decorations make their way across Canada, with several stops in the U.S. as well. It’s an annual charitable operation to raise money and food for foodbanks.
One of the festive trains seen in at night with the skyline of Calgary in the background (CPR)
The first 14-car train leaves Montreal today, and makes several stops in the province of Quebec before beginning a tour in the U.S. and then back into southern Ontario, through more U.S. states and back into Saskatchewan to end in Alberta. The second train leaves Montreal tomorrow along CP northern routes heading across Quebec, towards northern Ontario crossing above Lake Superior and crossing the three prairie provinces out to Vancouver. (sites and schedules in link at bottom)
The Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday train routes 2019. (CPR)
The trains carry a variety of musicians who perform from a stage created in one of the boxcars at the many stops along the way.
At stops along the way, well-known artists perform free concerts in daytime and nightime events for donations to food banks. Here a daytime performance with a western grain elevator in the background (CPR)
Begun in 1999 in Canada; stops added in the U.S. since 2001
The train makes some 150 stops in six provinces in Canada and eight U.S states. At each stop top ranking artists perform free concerts for crowds who are urged to bring along food and/or money donations which are turned back over to local foodbanks within the communities themselves.
CP Holiday Train 2019 promo video
Keith Creel, CP President and CEO said in a statement announcing this year’s programme. “Access to nutritious food is a basic necessity, and food bank usage is on the rise across North America. The CP Holiday Train program is our way to help in the fight against hunger by growing awareness of this issue and providing a fun and engaging way for the public to show their support.”
Huge crowds come out at every stop, with donations to food banks now in the millions of dollars and over 2 million kg of food, all for local foodbanks (CPR)
CP adds that since the programme began it has raised more than C $15.8 million and over 2 million kilos of food donations.
The CP rail holiday trains and schedules should not be affected by the current labour dispute and CN railway.
Additional information-sources
For reasons beyond our control, and for an undetermined period of time, our comment section is now closed. However, our social networks remain open to your contributions.