Despite chilly temperatures, light snow and it being a weekday morning, at least 200 people came out to see the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train pull into Innisfail on the morning of Dec. 12.
As Christmas music blared and kids waved at the on-board Santa, a stage lowered to reveal the band Doc Walker in one of the cars.
“The kids seemed to have a really good time,” said Carole Sim, coordinator of the Innisfail and Area Food Bank.
The train is chugging across Canada, making stops to help raise food and funds for food banks at community stops throughout the country.
It's been about two years since the last time the train stopped in Innisfail.
Sim figured about 200-300 people turned out to see the train.
“We got 710 pounds of food at the train,” she said. They raised $1,100 in cash donations, including $500 from CPR.
In addition to the food collected at the train, students from St. Marguerite Bourgeoys Catholic School had a competition to see which class could bring the most food for the food bank. Sim said the winning class got to go see the train.
Shauna Wing's Grade 3 class ended up bringing in the most items per capita and won the right to head to the train. Sim said the school raised a total of 950 pounds of food.
There were several school groups that could be spotted in the crowd at the train.
“We had a pretty good turnout,” Sim said.
