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CP Holiday Train rides into Airdrie

The Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train is chugging its way across Canada, and will roll into Airdrie Dec. 11. “Expect to see a really beautifully lit-up train,” said Mallory McCredie, media relations advisor with CP.
Holiday Enter-train-ment
The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, featuring performances from Terri Clark, Sierra Noble and Kelly Prescott, will roll into Nose Creek Park Dec. 11.

The Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train is chugging its way across Canada, and will roll into Airdrie Dec. 11. “Expect to see a really beautifully lit-up train,” said Mallory McCredie, media relations advisor with CP. “It’s gorgeous, whether you’re seeing it in the day or at night.” According to McCredie, 2018 marks the 20th year the brightly-lit train has travelled across Canada and the United States – raising food, money and awareness for local hunger issues along the way. At each stop along the train’s cross-country route, community volunteers collect food and monetary donations. McCredie said CP co-ordinates with someone from the community – typically the mayor – to partner with a local food bank that is supporting families in the community. “The cool thing about it is that every pound of food and dollars raised at each of the stops stays within that local food bank,” McCredie said. “We understand that we’re not the experts in knowing where the food should be allocated within a community, but we do think it’s really important that any food or money raised by a community stays within that community.” Since the program began in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than $14.5 million and 4.3 million pounds of food. Each stop is also a great family event, McCredie said. The Holiday Train typically brings between 10 and 13 cars to each community, festively lit with Christmas lights and designed into holiday scenes guaranteed to dazzle young and old alike. The train will stop at Nose Creek Park Dec. 11, with performances taking place on the east side of the tracks. According to McCredie, Airdrie will see “a Canada-centric group of women” including Juno-award-winning Alberta country musician Terri Clark on her last stop of the line, along with Sierra Noble and Kelly Prescott. After the train arrives at 5:30 p.m., attendees will be treated to an extra long performance running from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. The side of the stage car will drop down and the night’s performers will play an opening song to warm up the crowd, McCredie said. After a short thank-you speech from a CP representative, a local elected official and a representative from the food bank, followed by a cheque presentation from CP to the food bank, Terri Clark will come on stage and perform until it’s time for the train to load up and roll out of town. The donation amount to each local food bank will be a surprise at each of the stops, McCredie added. Since the Airdrie show is one of the busier stops on the line, McCredie said it’s important attendees remember to keep a safe distance from the tracks when the Holiday Train is in town. “We want to make sure we’re having a really safe and fun event,” she said.

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