CALGARY – ENTERTAINMENT – The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train made its way across Canada in December. Huge crowds greeted the train at each stop. Here in Thunder Bay the crowd was entertained by a great musical effort. The results of the 2014 Holiday Train are now in. Over C$1.1 million was raised and 300,000 pounds of food were donated to food banks across Canada.
“The crowds in 2014 were simply amazing – a true reflection of all the hard work put in by community volunteers,” said E. Hunter Harrison, CP CEO. “CP is proud to support local food banks across Canada and the U.S. and looks forward to the 2015 edition of the Holiday Train.”
Since its start in 1999, the CP Holiday Train has helped to raise more than C$10.6 million and 3.6 million pounds of food for local food banks and food shelves.
This year, the CP Holiday Train program provided a platform for dialogue around access to healthy, nutritious food. Food organizations from east to west shared their stories of volunteerism and donations of fresh, locally-farmed foods getting to the most vulnerable people in our communities. Patrons attending Holiday Train events were asked to bring healthy food options while food shelves were asked to commit 10 percent or more of CP’s monetary donation to healthy food initiatives or purchases.
Crowds at Holiday Train events were entertained by a number of musicians, including the pop-rock band Odds, Roxanne Potvin, Tracey Brown, and Jim Cuddy (of Blue Rodeo fame) on the Canadian tour and, in the U.S., country star Kira Isabella along with a cappella sensations Home Free.
To continue to support the Holiday Train and receive updates for next year’s program, visit us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @CPHolidaytrain #CPHolidayTrain. For additional information, photos, a route map, and downloadable pictures of the two trains, visit www.cpr.ca/holiday-train.
