File photo of a CP Holiday Train. The CP Rail tour returns to an in-person model following two seasons of virtual shows. (Photo supplied by CP Rail)

By Justin Goulet

CP Holiday Train brings back in-person tour following two-year break

Oct 14, 2022 | 9:56 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train makes its return to the rails this season for the first time since the start of the pandemic.

The train takes a route across Canada, collecting food donations, raising awareness and funds for local food banks in the communities along the CP network. In addition to seeing a brightly lit Christmas themed train, community members can hear live music from various performers.

The CP Holiday Train hosted virtual concerts in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19, but for the 2022 holiday season, Canadians will be able to see the spectacle in person again. The tour features two trains, with one operating on a Canadian route and the other in the United States.

CP President and Chief Executive Officer, Keith Creel stated in a news release, “I’m grateful to the CP team members who adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver two exceptional virtual Holiday Train shows and to all those who continued to donate while we kept community members safe.”

Creel added that the train is about bringing families and communities together to celebrate the season and help people in need.

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He said, “We are excited to be back out on the rails and in our communities, taking these two beautiful trains across our network and sharing the joy that comes with gathering in the spirit of giving.”

The Canadian tour will start on November 23, 2022 in Lac-Mégantic, Quebec with performances from Brittany Kennell and Don Amero.

The tour will not be stopping in Lethbridge, as it has in years past. The train will be in Alberta on December 7, stopping in Medicine Hat. That stop will feature performances from Tenille Townes of Grande Prairie, Alberta, and Aysanbee.

Other stops in Alberta include Tilley, Brooks, Gleichen, Blackfalds, Lacombe, Ponoka, Wetaskiwin, Millet, Leduc, Josephburg, Edmonton, Innisfail, Olds, Didsbury, Airdrie, Calgary, Cochrane, Stoney Nakoda, Canmore, and Banff.

The final stop on the Canadian leg will be in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia on December 18.

Other performers on the tour include Alan Doyle, Virginia to Vegas, Lindsay Ell, Mackenzie Porter, Texas Hill, and Kelly Prescott.

The full schedule is available at the Canadian Pacific Railway website.

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