For the first time in two years, the Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train chugged its way into Midhurst, bringing with it some Christmas spirit to help kick off the festive season, Wednesday afternoon.
Vehicles lined up as far as the eye could see down Highway 26, north of Barrie, with residents donning rain coats, warm boots and carrying umbrellas to keep dry while they made their way along Anne Street North to Wenden Court for the event, which benefitted both the Barrie Food Bank and Elmvale & District Food Bank.
Meaghan Rogers and her three-year-old daughter Paisley refused to let a little wind and rain keep them from coming out to see the CP Holiday Train for the first time.
“We live in Orillia and we had seen it advertised a couple of times and thought that would be cool, and she’s in love with trains,” she explained.
Shannon Froude also drove down from Orillia with her two kids. She said this is the first time the event has taken place since they’ve been born.
“They are so into Christmas this year, being one and three, that anything Christmas they are into. We are lucky that they’re so good about us taking them to anything that they don’t care, as long as they see Christmas lights," Froude said.
Local nanny Nancy Santos kept dry under an extra large umbrella with two-year-old Ryla while waiting for the train to arrive.
“I just moved up from Toronto and she lives in the neighbourhood. I’d found out about the Christmas train and that it goes all through Canada ... which is amazing. I looked it up online and thought this would be a really neat experience," Santos said.
Midland resident Bruce Wilcox said coming to see the train was one of his bucket-list items.
“I don’t have littles,” said Wilcox, who was joined by his wife Linda, adding the train was everything he expected it to be. “I am glad it’s not snowing.”
The annual tour began Monday in Ontario with a total of 38 shows planned that featured the train all alight with holiday lights on each car, as well as a free concert.
The local show featured live music by Tenille Townes, an award-winning singer, songwriter and musician from Grand Prairie, Alta., as well as Aysanabee, a Toronto-based singer-songwriter who is Oji-Cree, hailing from the Sucker Clan of the Sandy Lake First Nation.
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train tours Canada and the U.S. in November and December raising money, food and awareness for the important work that food banks do in their communities. Professional musicians play free half-hour concerts from the brightly decorated train’s stage.
CP makes a donation to the local food shelf at each stop and encourages attendees to also donate. Since its inception in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $21 million and 5 million pounds of food for community food banks. A full schedule, a list of performers and promotional materials are available on cpr.ca/holidaytrain.
