Performers, schedule announced for CP Holiday Train stops in Shuswap, South Thompson
After two years of cancellations due to the COVID pandemic, the CP Holiday Train is once again crossing the continent to raise money, food and awareness for community food banks.
"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," CP’s president and chief executive officer Keith Creel said in a media release issued today, Oct. 12.
"The Holiday Train is all about families and communities coming together to celebrate the season and help those in need,” Creel 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 2022 tour launches on Nov. 23, and will feature 168 live shows as it travels through parts of Canada and the United states, ending in Port Coquitlam on Dec. 18.
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Communities in the Shuswap and South Thompson can look forward to seeing the train as it makes several stops on its way to the Lower Mainland middle of December.
It stops in the community of Revelstoke at 6 p.m. on Dec. 14 at the CP railway yard on Victoria Street.
The following day, Dec. 15, the train makes three stops: Sicamous at 5:10 p.m. at the northwest corner of Highway 1 at Silver Sand Road east of the drawbridge, Salmon Arm at 7:45 p.m. at the Lordco gravel parking lot at 51 Lake Shore Drive NW and lastly Notch Hill at 9:10 p.m. at Davies Road and Notch Hill Road crossing, 1639 Notch Hill Road.
“It's great to see its return as people have been wanting to get outdoors and it brings an influx of items to the Salmon Arm food bank during its busiest time of the year,” Salmon Arm Mayor Alan Harrison posted to Facebook last week.
On Dec. 16 the train makes four stops starting with one in Chase at 2:35 p.m. on the north side of Shuswap Ave across from the RCMP building.
The next stop that day is in Kamloops at 4:45 p.m. at the north side of Sandman Centre on Lauren Street in the rear parking lot, then Savona at 7 p.m. at Savona Access Road and Savona Street, and last for the day in Cache Creek at 8:35 p.m. at the CP building on Railway Avenue.
The train makes a stop in Lytton on Dec. 17 at the CP TMS building before chugging on down to the Lower Mainland.
Canadian singers on the tour include country singer Tenille Townes from Alberta, frontman for Great Big Sea Alan Doyle, Quebec female country artist Brittany Kennell and Manitoban country music singer Don Amero.
Also onboard are Ottawa born country musician Kelly Prescott, vocal trio Texas Hill, indie-pop artist Virginia to Vegas, folky Toronto-based Aysanabee, Calgary country singer Lindsay Ell and Medicine Hat’s Mackenzie Porter.
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Live music is essential to the CP Holiday Train experience and shows are free to attend, but people are asked to bring a cash or non-perishable food donation if they can.
Since the Holiday Train program launched in 1999, it's raised more than $21 million and collected five million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.
Local food shelves will set up collection stations at each event, with all donations made staying with the local food bank to help people in need in the community, the organization said.
Go here for a full schedule of stops and a list of performers.
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