An annual holiday tradition won't be making its way through town this year.

Canada Pacific has opted to cancel this year's CP Holiday Train events.

Typically, the train would make its way through Canada and the northern United States, stopping in various towns for live concerts and to raise donations for local food banks.

This year, concerns over crowds relating to the pandemic led to a change in plans.

Mallory McCredie, Communications Advisor with Canadian Pacific, says a safer event will be held in its place.

"We will be hosting a large virtual concert, and we're still working out a few of the details, we want to leave a bit of it to be a surprise. As you know, with the COVID-19 pandemic, communities across the network are struggling, so we're happy to still be able to donate to food banks across our network, and then host the virtual concert in lieu of our regular programming."

She says CP still plans to contribute to food banks across the country, and they're asking Canadians to do the same.

"CP definitely encourages everyone who would normally come out to a Holiday Train show to still contribute to their local food bank. I think the COVID-19 pandemic has been really difficult on communities and has really raised the awareness for hunger security, and I think there's a great opportunity for everyone to still donate to their local food bank, even if they're not attending the concert."

Provided the situation around the pandemic has improved by this time next year, CP is planning to resume their usual Holiday Train plans.

Since its launch in 1999, the Holiday Train has raised over $17.8 million and 4.8 million pounds of food.

 

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