Canada's Festive Christmas Train Won't Be Passing Through Montreal This Year

Yikes... Looks like the Christmas cancellations have begun.
Reporter

Despite Minister Christian Dubé's remarks that Quebecers could save Christmas by cancelling Thanksgiving, there will be at least one thing missing this holiday season: Montreal's favourite festive train has been cancelled for the first time in its 21-year run.

Canadian Pacific announced this week that it would be hosting a virtual concert and donating to Canadian food banks on its usual route in lieu of its regular holiday train programming.

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"COVID-19 has created many challenges for communities across our network and has only increased the need at local food banks and food shelves," said CP President and CEO Keith Creel in a news release.

"We will have the Holiday Train rolling again spreading Christmas cheer as soon as it’s safe to do so!”

Since 1999, CP has travelled across Canada and parts of the U.S., raising money and donating food to food banks. 

The train attracts thousands of fans across Canada every year. Last year, it passed through the Montreal-West EXO station and Beaconsfield EXO station at the end of November. 

Christmas without the brightly lit-up train just won't feel the same. CP said it intends to continue spreading its usual Christmas cheer at the end of 2021. 

Dates for this year's online event will be announced on the CPR website.

  • Lea Sabbah
  • Lea Sabbah was a Staff Writer for MTL Blog. Previously, Lea was a radio host on CJLO 1690 AM and her work has been published by Global News, the Toronto Star, Le Devoir and the National Observer. In 2019, she was part of the investigative team that uncovered lead in Montreal's drinking water — a story which won Quebec's Grand Prix Judith-Jasmin. She's a graduate of the journalism program at Concordia University.

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