It’s a whistle-stop highly anticipated in Cochrane and Morley every other year and this time around is no different.

Mark Thursday, Dec. 13 on your calendar as a day to be in the Cochrane Historic Downtown to enjoy the all-star lineup of the CP Holiday Train and support the local food bank. It stops by the Provincial Building on 1st St. W. (main street).

Now in its 20th year, the holiday train is scheduled to arrive in Cochrane at 2:45 p.m. and within 15 minutes the stage will drop for a half hour performance from 3 to 3:30 p.m. It then heads to Morley where they will be performing from 4:25 to 4:45 p.m. near the Morley Gas Station

The Sam Roberts BandThe Juno award-winning Sam Roberts Band, Kelly Preston and Tracey Brown are featured and the word is Santa will be joining them on stage.

The entertainment will be fabulous and the cause ever so important. Cash proceeds from the event will be donated to the Cochrane Activettes and nonperishable food will be gladly accepted. CP also makes a cash donation at every stop.

We are the kickoff point for the Cochrane-Abbotsford run of the train that starts to make its way west from Montreal on Nov. 27. Its final show is in Port Coquitlam, B.C. on Dec. 18.

Just two days early the train arrives in Airdrie on Dec. 11 for an hour-long performance from 5:45 to 6:45 p.m. featuring performers Terri Clark, Kelly Prescott and Sierra Noble.

A second train heads south from Montreal on Nov. 25 with stops in Quebec, New York and Southern Ontario before continuing its journey through the U.S. and into southern Saskatchewan, where it makes its final stop in Weyburn on Dec. 16.

Since 1999, the Holiday Train has raised more than Cdn. $14.5 million and 4.3 million pounds of food for North American food banks. Everything raised in a community stays in that community.

Photo contest

Photos are encouraged at all holiday train stops and a chance to win a great prize in CP's Capture the Spirit photo contest. The prize is a trip for four aboard the 2019 CP Holiday Train as well as a $1,000 donation to the local food bank of the winner.