CP Holiday Train brings festive season to Heritage City
By Nelson Daily Staff
Hundreds of Nelsonites braved the cool weather to welcome the Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train as it rolled next to Lakeside Park Tuesday night.
Alan Doyle and The Beautiful Band provided the entertainment as Nelsonites surrounded the 1,000-foot Holiday Train for the fourth time in seven years.
The last time the Holiday Train stopped in Nelson was in 2015, well as 2011 and 2013.
Major Robin Burrows of the Nelson Salvation Army was joined by staff as spectators filled bins with non-perishable items for the local food bank and Christmas hampers.
The Nelson Salvation Army was presented with a cheque for $8,000.
The Christmas Train, in its 15th year, has raised over $7.4 million dollars and three million pounds of food for North American food banks since its launch in 1999.
All donations collected within the community will remain in that community for distribution.
Nelson Mayor Deb Kozak welcomed to the entertainers and crew to the Heritage City.
Doyle told the audience he had never been to Nelson before. He also welcomed everyone to come visit him in Newfoundland.
Doyle’s band opened with a few Christmas Carols before chiming into some of his hits, including Ordinary Day when he was with Great Big Sea.
Spectators lined the intersection of Second Street and Gordon Road as well as the Nelson Bridge and entrance to Lakeside Park.
The Holiday Train consists of 14 brightly decorated rail cars. Each car is decorated with hundreds of thousands of technology-leading LED lights and holiday designs.
