Here's What Will Happen With Canada's Christmas Train This Year
Here's another COVID-19 loss. Unfortunately, this year's CP Holiday Train has officially been cancelled and it's the first time in more than 20 years that the festive celebration hasn't run across the country. However, there is an alternative plan to still have some fun and donate to food banks.
While the Holiday Train is an annual tradition in Canada, we'll have to go without it this year.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the train won't run across the country like it normally does, illuminating the night sky with hundreds of thousands of LED lights.
This is the first time since it started in 1999 that the annual celebration won't happen.
Usually, people gather at stops along the route to see the shimmering light displays as the railcars pull in.
Donations are collected for local food banks and Canadian musicians take the stage to perform holiday songs.
With the train not running this year, there's an alternate plan to keep the festive spirit alive.
Canadian Pacific will give back to local food banks in communities along the railway network that would've gotten the donations in normal times.
There will also be a virtual concert so that people can still enjoy the sounds of the season like they would if the train rolled into town.
Except this time they can stay warm and watch it all from the comfort of their homes.
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The Holiday Train is about 1,000 feet long with 14 rail cars that are brightly decorated.
There are hundreds of thousands of LED lights that illuminate the cars with seasonal like snowflakes, reindeer, Christmas trees and more.
Last year the train travelled through B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec with stops along the way in November and December.
Since 1999, $17.8 million has been raised and 4.8 million pounds of food have been collected.
While the train not running this year might be a little sad and put a damper on the holiday season, there is some hope for the future.
CP plans to have the Holiday Train chugging across Canada once again in 2021.
There's also still hope for holiday celebrations in December with family and friends if we can get rising COVID-19 cases under control.