The CP Holiday Train is in Calgary on Friday, sure to delight residents with holiday music and a lot of Christmas cheer.
For the past 17 years, the train, decorated with all manner of Christmas lights, has been lighting up communities all over North America, all in support of local food banks.
The Holiday Tour has raised more than $10M and more than 6M pounds of food for food banks across the continent.
This year, more than others, that support is desperately needed. Food banks have been inundated with people in need, with reports saying that usage is up 30 percent in Alberta alone.
The Holiday Train will be holding a free concert at Anderson Station, featuring country artist Kelly Prescott, and Jim Cuddy on stage with his son Devin.
Salem Woodrow, a spokesperson for the Holiday Train, says it has already received a tremendous amount of support from the community.
"The Holiday Train program started in Montreal at the end of November and we've been travelling across Canada and the United States raising money, food, and awareness for food banks and hunger issues."
Woodrow says that everything raised for the Holiday Train food wise remains in the community for community usage.
The train has grown exponentially since its inception, starting as just one train reaching a handful of communities.
"Today, it is two trains reaching 150 communities. Our beautiful Holiday Train is 14 rail cars, hundreds of feet in length and decorated with thousands of LED lights."
After the performance, which begins at 7 p.m., the train will continue on to Fort Macleod, Lethbridge, and finally through the Crowsnest Pass into B.C.
For more information about the Holiday Train and its route, you can go to the website.
