ESTEVAN - The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train rolled through the southeast on Sunday and then headed out to Moose Jaw to wrap up the 2022 Christmas season.
The brighty-decorated symbol of Canadian holidays first stopped at North Portal, bringing in the Christmas spirit to the community. A performance by Kelly Prescott and Alan Doyle was followed by a community potluck in the village. They also announced the winners of their annual Light Up North Portal contest.
Scott and Dorna MacDonald won the People's Choice award, while Warren and Verla Fair became the All Lights Draw winners.
Along its route, the train was also raising money, food and awareness for local food banks. Those who attend the local shows were encouraged to bring a donation for the Salvation Army's Food Bank.
CP also provided support to the cause. They donated $4,500 to go towards food banks.
The temperature was well below zero, but with no wind, the sunny Sunday afternoon turned out to be great, and hundreds of people attended the event in Estevan. Kids were sliding down a snow hill and parents were enjoying the music show. Many people also brought their donations to support local food bank.
Jane Anne Ireland with the Estevan Salvation Army said while they didn’t have the total for donations from the public, the campaign was very well received. They collected many food and monetary donations that will help them keep the shelves of the food bank replenished to support others in the community.
The train that visited the southeast has been touring the mid-west U.S. since early December. It crossed the Canada-U.S. border at North Portal, and Prescott said she was happy to finish the tour in the homeland.
From Estevan, the train headed to Weyburn and then Moose Jaw, which was its final stop for the year.
