The CP Holiday Train is seen making its way through Manitoba in 2013. It won't be running this year. (Facebook)

COVID claims another casuality: CP Rail’s Holiday Train

And the hits just keep on coming courtesy of COVID-19.

As traditional events–from the ‘The Nutcracker’ in Toronto to the Grey Cup in Regina–get cancelled, Canadians can only lick their wounds and hope for the day when the pandemic nightmare will end.

Add Canadian Pacific’s Holiday Train and to the casualties.

Over 100 people waited in Schreiber, Ont. for the CP Holiday Train to roll into town in December 2016. (Amy Hadley/CBC)

Every winter since 1999, the Holiday Train has made its run across Canada and the northern U.S. raising money–$17.8 million–collecting food-4.8-million pounds–and bringing attention to food banks.

Not this year.

Keith Creel, the railway’s president and CEO, made the announcement in a media release on Thursday, a day after Toronto announced it was cancelling all city-led and city-sponsored events until the end of the year.

Instead, Canadian Pacific will donate to food banks along its network and host a series of virtual concerts.

The CP Holiday Train will not travel across Canada and the United States this year due to the pandemic, the railway company announced Thursday. (Courtesy of Canadian Pacific Railway)

“COVID-19 has created many challenges for communities across our network and has only increased the need at local food banks and food shelves,” Creel said in a release.

“It is our honour to continue to donate to communities across our network this year, even if the train itself will not run.”

Details about the virtual concerts were not announced.

CP says it plans to resume the holiday train in 2021.

With files from CBC News. CP Rail,

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