The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train -- North America's largest rolling food bank fundraiser – is coming to Innisfail for the fourth time.
The last time the holiday train came to town was in 2012.
This year the holiday train, which is in its 16th year of rolling across Canada, as well as the United States, will arrive at the Fas Gas rail crossing on 50th Street at 2 p.m. on Dec. 10. Its stay will last about 45 minutes.
Since its inception, the holiday train has raised close to $9.5 million and 3.3 million pounds of food during its rides across Canada.
Musicians aboard the train will play more than 150 concerts from a boxcar CPR has turned into a travelling stage. This year's live entertainment features Roxanne Potvin, the Juno Award-nominated, Montreal-based singer-songwriter, and Odds, a longtime Vancouver-based power pop rock band.
The concerts are free, but CPR is encouraging citizens to bring a donation for local food banks -- either a non-perishable food item or a cash donation. All contributions will stay in Innisfail.
“We always like to have them. It is great the CPR does it,” said Carole Sim, coordinator of the Innisfail & Area Food Bank. “They go right across Canada, from Newfoundland to Victoria. They do the same in the States.”
When the train came in 2012, Sim estimated between 200 and 300 citizens came out, many of them schoolchildren. She said 710 pounds of food was collected along with $1,100 in cash donations, including $500 from CPR.
“We had a good crowd and I think everyone enjoyed it,” said Sim, adding plans are already being made for the train's arrival next month. “We will have Santa Claus there and we will notify the schools. The last time they came we had kindergarten students and many more from grades 1, 2 and 3. It is a get-together for the community.”
Meanwhile, Sim said her agency has not yet started its annual Christmas season drive to help the needy. She said that campaign will begin in late November.
The CP Holiday Train begins its three-week seasonal journey in Canada on Nov. 26 when it leaves Montreal. CP's U.S. and Canadian trains will visit more than 150 communities. The U.S. Holiday Train will travel across the U.S. northeast and Midwest before its final show on Dec. 17 in Weyburn, Sask., while the Canadian train will travel west and wrap up its journey Dec. 18 in Port Coquitlam, B.C.
CP officials say it takes 30 "CP elves" 100 days to completely transform and decorate the holiday trains before they start their journeys.
In 2012, more than 20,000 candy canes were handed out to the kids at holiday train events. In the 16 years of the program, it is estimated over a quarter of a million candy canes have been given out to children as treats.
