Pincher Creek's food bank gets $12,000 boost from CP Holiday Train event

CP Holiday Train at Pincher Station
C. Davis photos/video

Chris Davis - The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train made a stop at Pincher Station on Sunday morning, December 13.  It's the 17th year of the Holiday Train initiative, which helps communities raise cash and food for local food banks, and also raises awareness of poverty issues with a helping of heart health education.  Jim Cuddy, Devin Cuddy, and Kelly Prescott were the headlining entertainers for the Pincher Station stop.  Approximately 450 people attended the event.

Two brightly lit trains began their journeys from the Montreal area on November 27 and 28, with stops planned in approximately 150 communities in the United States and Canada.

Volunteer Ryder Oczkowski accepts a food bank donation

McMan Youth, Family and Community Services Association Supervisor Anne Gover was on hand at the Pincher Station event to hand out hot chocolate to the crowds and to accept a cheque from Canadian Pacific and other donors. McMan administers the local food bank, called The Junction, which is in the process of moving to the former RCMP building on Main Street, Pincher Creek, with renovation help from TransAlta and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The facility is larger than their previous Kettles Street location and has a loading dock, which has already made it easier to receive foodstuffs, and is expected to open this Friday, December 18.

New Junction food bank loading dock (from their Facebook page)

According to Gover, the Holiday Train event raised $5048.01 in cash, $4000 from CPR, and 1500 lbs of food valued at approximately $3000. Gover thanked Town of Pincher Creek Councillor Wayne Elliott for helping to get the Holiday Train to stop here again, and she also thanked the Town's Economic Development Officer Marie Everts for her help in organizing the event.

The performers braved a wind we call "brisk" around here to put on a wonderful free show, with Devin Cuddy, Kelly Prescott, and Jim Cuddy each taking a turn at the microphone. It was an "A" class  whistle-stop performance despite the "Brrr" class weather.  The weather was actually milder than it was the last three times the train stopped at Pincher Station, with no snow, a rarity for mid-December events. Pincher Creek Mayor Don Anderberg also took a turn at the mic to thank CP, McMan Agency, Councillor Elliott, and those who donated to the cause.

Local RCMP, Pincher Creek Emergency Services, and CP Rail police deserve a nod for their crowd and traffic control efforts.

Devin Cuddy (at keys) and Kelly Prescott (centre)

Jim Cuddy

The Junction food bank is open to distribute food hampers Mondays and Wednesdays from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm, and Thursdays from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm. Call 403-627-4265 for more information or visit their Facebook page.

Related link: Canadian Pacific's CP Holiday Train website