CALGARY, Oct. 1 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific's brightly decorated Holiday Train returns to the rails in late November, raising food, money and awareness for food banks across North America. Last year, the Holiday Train helped raise more than $500,000 and 250,000 lbs of food and there is greater need this year.
"Canadian Pacific is proud to support communities where we operate, raising more than $4 million in funds and two million pounds of food in the Holiday Train's first decade," said CP President and CEO Fred Green. "Each year, the Holiday Train's message gets stronger and the impact on our employees and in communities becomes more meaningful."
At each stop, Canadian Pacific provides a brightly decorated train, a box car converted into a stage, great musical talent and a corporate contribution to the local food bank. The community, in turn, rallies together at this free event - donating food and funds, all of which stays in their community.
"Each month, thousands of Canadians are faced with making the very real choice between paying rent or buying food," said Katharine Schmidt, Executive Director of Food Banks Canada. "Canadian Pacific has become an important partner in supporting these families in need."
Food Banks Canada and its members, affiliate members and respective agencies serve approximately 85 percent of food bank clients in Canada and recently confirmed that 20% more Canadians are enlisting the help of food banks compared to a year ago.
The headlining musical talents on the Canadian Holiday Train this year are alternative rock band The Odds and blues-rocker Shaun Verreault. The Odds bring their energy and full voiced harmonies to the Holiday Train stage for the first time. With international hits such as "Someone Who's Cool" and "Love is the Subject", this power pop quartet will be sure to entertain.
"Across North America, wherever there are people who are in need of food, there are communities dedicated to feeding that need" said Verreault. "The Holiday Train helps communities help each other, not just during the holiday season, but year round and I'm honored to help supply the soundtrack to such an inspiring program."
Over 70 Canadian cities, towns and villages will experience the Holiday Train spirit, starting in Montreal on Saturday, November 28 and concluding in Port Moody on Friday, December 18. In the U.S, a second Holiday Train will visit more than 40 communities including for the first time communities in South Dakota along CP's Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad subsidiary.
Complete schedule details, downloads, pictures and video for the 2009 Holiday Train can be found on www.cpr.ca
About Canadian Pacific:
Canadian Pacific, through the ingenuity of its employees located across Canada and in the United States, remains committed to being the safest, most fluid railway in North America. Our people are the key to delivering innovative transportation solutions to our customers and to ensuring the safe operation of our trains through the more than 1,100 communities where we operate. Come and visit us at www.cpr.ca to see how we can put our ingenuity to work for you. Canadian Pacific is proud to be the official rail freight services provider for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games.
Editors please note: For detailed schedules, musicians' biographies and photos, a route map and downloadable pictures of the train, visit www.cpr.ca and click the Holiday Train icon.
2009 CP Holiday Train Schedule - Canada Schedule is subject to change All times are local Thursday, November 26 Quebec (x)Kahnawake - 7:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), Mohawk Reserve (x)LaColle - 9:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), CP Train Station, 10 Ste. Marie Saturday, November 28 Quebec Montreal - 7 p.m., Places des Vestiges on the Quays of the Old Port, across from Jacques-Cartier Pier Sunday, November 29 Quebec Beaconsfield - 2:45 p.m., Beaconsfield Commuter Station Les Cedres - 4:15 p.m., CP railway crossing at Chemin St. Dominique Ontario Smiths Falls - 7:15 p.m., Smith Falls Train Station, 63 Victoria St. Monday, November 30 Ontario Perth - 10:00 a.m., Wilson St. railway crossing, south side Belleville - 1:30 p.m., South Church St. railway crossing, south of Dundas St. East Trenton - 2:45 p.m., RCAF Road railway crossing, north of the base Brighton - 4:00 p.m., East of railway crossing at Prince Edward St. Bowmanville - 7:00 p.m., Scugog Road railway crossing Oshawa - 8:30 p.m., CP level railway crossing at Thornton Road Tuesday, December 1 Ontario Toronto - 6:30 p.m., 87 Ethel Avenue, adjacent to RONA (x)Hamilton - 8:15 p.m. (U.S. Train show), area of Kinnear Yard, opposite Gage Park Vaughan - 9:00 p.m., Northwest corner of CP Vaughan Intermodal Yard and Nashville Road, near grain elevator. Wednesday, December 2 Ontario Midhurst - 1:00 p.m., 12 Anne Street North Mactier - 3:30 p.m., Old CP Station (x)Cambridge - 4:45 p.m. (U.S. Train show), former Galt Station, 10 Malcolm St. Parry Sound - 5:15 p.m., Museum Train Station, 1 Avenue Road (x)Ayr - 6:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), Railway Crossing at Northumberland St. Shawanaga - 6:30 p.m., near the Band office, beside the railway crossing at Village Road (x)London - 8:30 p.m. (U.S. Train show), Richmond St. railway crossing between Oxford St. and Central Ave. Sudbury - 9:45 p.m., VIA Train Station, Elgin St. Thursday, December 3 Ontario Cartier - 11:15 a.m., CP Train Station, 3 Spence St. (x)Chatham - 12:15 p.m. (U.S. Train show), Mainline behind Wheels Inn between Merrit Ave. and Keil Drive Chapleau - 5:00 p.m., CP Train Station, 50 Dufferin St. (x)Windsor - 7:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), CP Train Yard, Erie St. W and Janette St. White River - 9:30 p.m., CP Train Station, 102 Winnipeg St. Friday, December 4 Ontario Mobert - 9:15 a.m., across from Band Office Heron Bay - 11:30 a.m., old CP Train Station, beside Esso building Marathon - 1:00 p.m., beside Curling Club parking lot, Stevens Ave. Schreiber - 3:45 p.m., CP Yard at Cenotaph, beside Harvest Food Cupboard building Nipigon - 6:30 p.m., CP Yard across from Nipigon Inn, 60 Front Street Thunder Bay - 9:45 p.m., CP Train Station, 440 Syndicate Ave. Saturday, December 5 Ontario Ignace - 11:15 a.m., CP Train Station Dryden - 1:45 p.m., CP Yard entrance, Queen St. and Earl Ave. Kenora - 5:00 p.m., CP South Yard across from Wholesale Store, 8th Ave. South entrance Manitoba Whitemouth - 8:00 p.m., Railway Ave. across from Whitemouth Hotel Sunday, December 6 Manitoba Winnipeg - 2:00 p.m., Molson St., between Panet Road and Munroe Ave. Portage La Prairie - 5:00 p.m., 301-3rd St. NE, opposite Centennial Arena Minnedosa - 9:15 p.m., west of CP Train Station, South of CP Yard, 30 2nd Ave. NW Monday, December 7 Saskatchewan Bredenbury - 1:15 p.m. CP Train Station Wynyard - 6:15 p.m., CP Train Station Tuesday, December 8 Saskatchewan Saskatoon - 11:00 a.m., CP Sutherland Yard, 801 Gray Ave. Regina - 6:30 p.m., Taylor Field, stadium parking lot Moose Jaw - 8:30 p.m., west of CP Train Station, 3 Manitoba St. West Wednesday, December 9 Saskatchewan Swift Current - 12:30 p.m., east of CP Train Station, 3rd St. and North Railway Ave. Maple Creek - 3:30 p.m., CP TMS Facility on Pacific Avenue Alberta Medicine Hat - 5:00 p.m., just east of CP Train Station, Queen & North Railway St. Tilley - 7:15 p.m., Southeast side of crossing at Highway 877 Brooks - 8:45 p.m., 1st Ave. behind Civic building Friday, December 11 Alberta Calgary - 6:00 p.m., 9511 Horton Road SW, gravel parking lot on Horton Road behind the Brick and Schanks Vulcan - 9:45 p.m., CP railway crossing at 1st Ave. and 2nd St. Saturday, December 12 Alberta Lethbridge - 8:30 a.m., 2nd Ave. North and 12th St. behind Save On Foods Fort MacLeod - 10:30 a.m., clear of level railway crossing on 5th Ave. Pincher Creek - 12:15 p.m., railway crossing just north of Highway 6 on Highway 3, next to Husky gas station at Pincher Station Coleman - 2:15 p.m., east of railway crossing, south of 17th Ave. between 69th and 70th St. British Columbia Sparwood - 4:45 p.m., 367 Pine St., behind Leisure Center Fernie - 6:30 p.m., behind CP Train Station, 700 - 1st Ave. Cranbrook - 10:15 p.m., 1400 block Theatre Road Sunday, December 13 British Columbia Creston - 10:00 a.m., Millennium Park across from Creston RCMP Station Castlegar - 4:45 p.m., Heritage Society CP Station Museum, 400 13th Ave. Nelson - 7:45 p.m., Railway crossing at Lakeside Park, 1900 Lakeside Drive Monday, December 14 British Columbia Radium - 6:15 p.m., Railway crossing at Foresters Road Golden - 9:30 p.m., across from 7-11, 10th Ave. Tuesday, December 15 British Columbia Revelstoke - 3:00 p.m., CP Yard, Victoria Road adjacent to CP parking lot Sicamous - 5:15 p.m., northwest corner of Highway 1 at Silver Sand Road intersection, east of Draw Bridge Salmon Arm - 7:00 p.m., Lordco parking lot, 51 Lake Shore Drive NE Notch Hill - 9:00 p.m., Davies Road - Notch Hill Road railway crossing across from Notch Hill Hall, 1639 Notch Hill Road Wednesday, December 16 British Columbia Chase - 4:15 p.m., north side of Shuswap Ave., across from Chase RCMP building Kamloops - 7:00 p.m., north side of Interior Savings on Lorne St. Thursday, December 17 British Columbia Ashcroft - 2:00 p.m., in area of CP facility on Railway Ave. Lytton - 4:45 p.m. in area of CP facility on Station Road North Bend - 6:45 p.m., east of CP facility Friday, December 18 Saskatchewan (x)North Portal - 12:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), Town Center (x)Estevan - 5:00 p.m. (U.S. Train show), east of CP Station at vacant lot off 7th St. (x)Weyburn - 7:45 p.m. (U.S. Train show), 512 Railway St. British Columbia Agassiz - 5:15 p.m., west of Highway 9, across from Agra Centre, Pioneer Ave. Maple Ridge - 7:45 p.m., across from Billy Minor Pub Port Moody - 9:30 p.m., on Queen St. at Clark Ave.
For further information
Media Contacts: East of Sudbury ON: Michel Spenard, Manager, Media Relations and Public Affairs, Canadian Pacific, (514) 835-1774, michel_spenard@cpr.ca
Sudbury to the West Coast: Kevin Hrysak, Manager, Media Relations, Canadian Pacific, (403) 836-3874, kevin_hrysak@cpr.ca
Mike LoVecchio, Senior Manager, Media Relations, Canadian Pacific, (778) 772-9636, mike_lovecchio@cpr.ca
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