CALGARY, AB — Canadian Pacific Railway’s Canadian Holiday Train begins its spectacular 5,000-km, 15-day journey in Montreal on Friday December 7, taking the battle against hunger to dozens of communities across the country.
The 1,200-ft. freight train, decorated in 8,000 Christmas lights, runs in partnership with the Canadian Association of Food Banks (CAFB). It will stop in towns and cities along CPR’s Canadian mainline, staging special events to raise donations and support for the thousands of Canadians who turn to food banks each month.
In addition to food and money collected along the way, CPR will donate roughly $144,000 to Canadian food banks.
“The Holiday Train has become a Christmas tradition in communities across the CPR network,” said CPR President & CEO Rob Ritchie. “It’s a chance for our employees, families, customers and communities to come together to help people in need. The Holiday Train is about giving back to communities and bringing people together, especially in these difficult times.”
The Holiday Train leaves Montreal’s St. Luc Yard at 5 p.m. (EST) on December 7 then travels west on CPR’s mainline to end its journey in Port Coquitlam, B.C. on December 21.
The Canadian train is one of three featured in CPR’s expanded 2001 Holiday Train program the other two trains will visit New York state and the U.S. Midwest. The U.S. Holiday Train, originating in Chicago, will cross the Canada-U.S. border to meet the Canadian Holiday Train in Moose Jaw on December 14.
CPR has teamed up with well-known Canadian musicians who will provide holiday entertainment from on board the GE stage car at approximately 30 scheduled event stops. Canadian country music artist Beverley Mahood will host a festive musical program for the family, along with musicians Tracey Brown and Randall Prescott. They will be joined by country artist Duane Steele in eastern Canada, and singer/actor Tom Jackson in the West.
The CPR Holiday Train helped collect 18 tons of food and approximately $500,000 for food banks in its previous two years.
Nearly 800,000 Canadians turn to food banks each month – more than 40 per cent of those are children. Food banks have seen a growing number of working people asking for help, and in fact, often must ration food distribution to ensure nobody is turned away.
The Holiday Train’s corporate sponsors include Hudson’s Bay Company, General Electric, Canadian Tire and All Star Entertainment. The following Canadian unions are supporting this year’s train: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers (BLE), United Transportation Union (UTU), Rail Canada Traffic Controllers (RCTC), Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) Local 101, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees (BMWE), CP Police Association and United Steelworkers of America (USWA), Local 1976.
How to help
Bring cash or non perishable food items to any Holiday Train event, or make a cash donation to the Holiday Train account at any Bank of Montreal branch.
Canadian Pacific Railway is North America’s first transcontinental railway and is the only transcontinental carrier with direct service to the U.S. Eastern Seaboard. CPR’s 14,000-mile network serves the principal centres of Canada, from Montreal to Vancouver, and the U.S. Northeast and Midwest regions. Its track feeds directly into the Chicago hub from the East and West coasts. Alliances with other carriers extend CPR’s market reach beyond its own network and into the major business centres of Mexico.