After a late evening show like the one in Tomah, Wisconsin on Sunday night the performers retreat into the rail cars where their creative energy continues to flow. As we headed west towards Lacrosse, the cast and crew soon found themselves seated around the large dining room table in the Mount Royal car where an impromptu jam session got underway. It was a treat to hear Colin Linden’s cover of The Weight by The Band and a passionate medley of John Denver songs by Maureen Ennis, together with her sister Karen and band member Mark Murphy. Everyone loved Tracey’s rendition of Etta James’ jazz classic, At Last. It turned into a very special, but late night.

Monday’s first show took place beside the classic 1920s-era Lacrosse depot. With a fading warm winter sun, Tracey, Colin, Maureen, Karen, Mark and Ken took to the Holiday Train stage. Lacrosse’s Mayor, Mark Johnsrud, encouraged the crowd to give Canadian Pacific a warm welcome. The half-hour show was all too soon over and we were then on our way to Winona and our first of fifteen Minnesota stops.

We crossed the Mississippi and left Wisconsin behind; our rail line following the mighty river right into St. Paul. At our next stop in Winnona, Sandra Burke, Executive Director of the Winnona Volunteer Services Food Shelf explained that the Holiday Train coincides with the town’s "10-Days Of Giving" food drive and that the Train helps to promote awareness of the program. "It means people come to celebrate and to donate to the Food Shelf." Sandra went on to say that "CP’s contribution helps us to purchase food throughout the year."

At our third stop in Wabasha, Minnesota the weather was getting decidedly colder. Even so, for the past few stops Tracey has been quite pleased to point out to the crowds that the Canadian Holiday Train has been crossing Saskatchewan where the temperature has been hovering at a bone-chilling - 28°.

Our fourth and last stop for the evening was in Lake City, Minnesota where fireplace manufacturer Hearth and Home is located right beside our mainline. For the past six years an enthusiastic Larry Flater, a production specialist with Hearth and Home, has joined CP staff on stage as he presents a cheque to the Lake City Food Shelf on behalf of his company. "Hopefully we can continue to do this," said Larry, "a lot of families have been using the services of the Food Shelf".

After full-blown shows in the Wisconsin cities of Portage, Wisconsin Dells and Mauston, the evening's last show of the day in Tomah had to be transformed into a 'stop-n-go' performance in order that the Holiday Train not block an important crossing. Mayor Chuck Ludeking spoke and the $1,000.00 cheque was presented to the Neighbor for Neighbor Food Bank on the tail end platform. Tracey, Colin, Maureen, Karen, Mark and Ken put on a fifteen minute show that by all accounts was well-received by the approximately 75 people.

As he has done for the past three years, Tim Dietrich, CP maintenance supervisor in Milwaukee, has volunteered to dress up as Santa on the Bensenville to Shoreham leg of the U.S. Holiday Train. Tim has hugged, waved and handed out thousands of candy canes and CP whistles, making many, many kids smile. "It's for the good cause of trying to get the food shelves filled," explained Tim on why he loves playing the part so much. 'and it's to see the kid's happy and sometimes crying faces. I think everybody enjoys it!"

Photo:  Kids on their parents shoulders watch the Holiday Train show in Portage, Wisconsin

Hi it's Earl here, the bassist of Wide Mouth Mason, and we just finished playing our hometown show. It was a special one for me because I had about 20 family members come visit and take a tour of the train. My little nieces and nephews loved their first train experience and everyone loved the show. The crowd was rockin considering it was fairly early in the morning and kinda cold. We played an extra WMM tune for the home crowd and our Christmas song was also well received. It was a great day and I am so glad the show and especially the train was a big hit.

Minnedosa

The freezing temperatures didn’t keep the warm hearts of Minnedosa’s residents away this morning. We had a great crowd for our early morning show today. Donating $2000 to the town makes a big difference to those in need – and was greatly appreciated by the Minnedosa Food Cupboard.

Bredenbury

What a spectacular sight!!! Rolling into Bredenbury all we could see were twinkling lights of the decorated town and the smiling faces of almost 1500 Holiday Train goers.

Energy and spirits were high and equaled the generosity of the community who braved the temperatures to welcome Wide Mouth Mason for their first show back in their home province. Ah…the prairies.

Even with our late 00:30 arrival last night, the Holiday Train cast and crew were up early this morning. On the to-do list was a little food shopping, a little downtown Chicago touring and on the entertainer's part, some thoughts on the Holiday Train experience and railroading:

*****

We are now 17 shows into the U.S. Holiday Train tour and have just entered back into America for the second time. The train offers the opportunity of seeing downtown cores, rail yards, houses intimately connected to train life and warehouses and buildings built in the infancy of their communities.

Our technical staff, Rob Mengles, proudly pointed out every shop and mechanical yard and other points of interest along the NEUS line. It's an interesting perspective to see what is the backbone of so many North American communities and the tie that binds them all together, the railroad. It's refreshing to have a different vantage point. As musicians, we are usually on a road that is littered with super malls, fast-food joints and subdivisions. And, instead of the hum of the tour bus, we have the sway of the train, the shuffle and rhythmic clacking and creaking of the rail cars, making the journey more musical in some ways. As we weave along the Midwest for the next eight days, we'll be making music in 28 communities.

Whether it's the view from onstage with a crowd in front of us, or watching the changing landscape as we roll along, this is one cool and unique tour to be part of.

                             Tracey Brown

****

It's remarkable how many of the folks on the crew of the Holiday train just love trains. There is a whole culture of people whose lives revolve around the ups and downs of schedules, maintenance, dead-heading, 3-point and the live-track lifestyle of getting freight and people where they need to be. It's inspiring. There are so few heroes out there in this modern world who commit their lives to labouring this time-tested tradition. It's so much more than a job. It has a way of elevating our (the musicians) part of this to a level of deeper meaning – and in our own way, I feel like we are working on the railroad, bringing the people together from town to town and connecting the dots in this frozen map of isolated winter satellites.

                             Colin Linden

****

I am so lucky to be a part of the Holiday Train family. We have all become so close and are having way too much fun 'working' together! I can't think of a better group of people that I would like to share this wonderful experience with.

Every show brings us closer to the end and this is one of those life experiences that you want to never end. I don't take one moment for granted and savor every show we do, the faces of the ecstatic, smiling children when they see Santa coming from the train, every laugh we share, all the people we get to meet along the way and the company of all my friends on the train.

This is such a beautiful thing and we are all so thankful to CP for this incredible ride.

                             Karen Ennis

****

Some of the best memories I have of Christmas time happened when I was a child. I remember all the fantastic multi-coloured lights decorating every home. The anticipation of Santa kept me awake all night. Oh the mouth-watering Christmas feasts and the kitchen parties that went on for hours and hours with family and friends. The list goes on and on.

The Holiday Train evokes all of those magical feelings and memories all over again. Those who know me, know how much I love to release the child in me. The Holiday Train is way too much fun for me!

Thank you CP for giving me the opportunity to meet Santa and to be a part of the Holiday Train Team again this year!

                             Maureen Ennis

****

Hi everybody! Mark ( the bass player) here again. We are coming up on halfway through the tour and I feel a little guilty having this much fun. Just about every town is exceeding our expectations. It's funny how the chemistry of this cast and crew is affecting the crowds. They see us all having so much fun and they start having fun and we see them having fun and …. well you get the idea.

Hunger isn't something some people ever have the luxury of forgetting, but if for half an hour at a time we can help people see how good if feels to make a difference, maybe one of these days hunger can be a distant memory.

On a personal note, Monique and Dave left us a few days ago and they are missed. Pretty much the only problem I can see on this train is that there is such a spirit of good will with this project that it brings amazingly special people with it. You can't help but miss amazingly special people.

From a musical standpoint, the band is really cooking now! Tracey, Colin and Ennis are giving wonderfully spontaneous performances town after town and no one ever loses site of why were doing this. Thanks for coming to see us. Thanks for bringing your food and money and thanks for bringing yourselves. We may forget what you said, we may forget what you did, but we'll never forget how you made us feel … Peace, Mark.

                             Mark Murphy

****

It's a "feel good, everybody loves everybody" family on this train. The longer we're together, the more we dread the end. I can't believe the magic that this train creates. The way everyone chips in, in every way, reinstates my belief in mankind.

                             Ken Post

Saturday, December 08, 2007 – after a 24-hour break, the Holiday Train performers hit the stage in Gurnee, Illinois ready and raring to go. A crowd of almost 1,000, which included three Miss Lake County Queens, braved the cold and were treated to a fast-paced show. In addition to CP's donation, the Abbott Fund and the Cardinal Health Contributions Committee also took the opportunity to make very generous donations to the Northern Illinois Food Bank.

Forty-five minutes later, the Holiday Train came to a stop in front of the modern Amtrak station in Sturtevant. The platform was filled 12-deep and people even took to an overhead skywalk to get a bird's-eye view. Karen Ennis' onstage joke, which describes how Santa is faced with talking cookies, delighted the crowd.

The third show of the evening in Pewaukee, Wisconsin surprised everyone onboard with probably the largest crowd in the United States to date. The singing, dancing and happy Pewaukeeians thoroughly enjoyed Colin's rendition of 'Go tell it on the Mountain' and the Ennis' spirited tale of 'Paddy McGinty' and his goat had everyone dancing an Irish jig!

The fourth and last show of the night was a 'stop-n-go' staged from the rear platform of the Strathcona car. When the Holiday Train came to a three-point stop in front of the old depot in Columbus, Wisconsin, Maureen, Karen, Tracey, Colin and Ken put on a late- night ten-minute show to a small but appreciative crowd.

Photo: (l to r) Chelsey Thompson, Miss Lake County 2008, Sydney Schmidt, Little Miss Lake County and Christina Haser, Junior Miss Lake County almost out-sparkles the Holiday Train!

After a late night of consecutive shows, the Holiday Train entertainers and staff tend to trickle into the dining room on the Mont Royal car for breakfast the next day. And with today's show in Windsor, Ontario to begin only at 19:00, this morning's relaxed atmosphere was no different. The conversation around the table often varies and this morning's themes covered a range of thought provoking topics including the history of the railway, the effects of the railway on small communities and of course music.

At 12:30, CBC Windsor Radio reporter, Sara Elliott, climbed aboard for the London to Windsor leg of the Holiday Train to gather a first-hand look at the entertainers and staff. First on her interview list was Tracey Brown who was asked what her favourite experience has been on the Holiday Train. Without hesitation, Tracey described the heart-warming gesture of the village of Rouses Pointe, New York whose Ladies Auxiliary make sure a basketful of home-baked goods are placed onboard the train each year. Next on Sara's agenda was a tour through the private cars where the dining rooms, bedrooms and tail-end observation platforms made a big impression. Sara's onboard experience ended in the coach car as she recorded Tracey, Maureen, Karen, Ken and Mark, who were joined by many of the children of Windsor based employees, as they sang Frosty The Snow Man and other Christmas favourites. Camera flashes popped and autographs were taken by the mums and dads eager to record the Holiday Train experience. Sara rushed off to file her story as soon as we pulled into Windsor, but later returned for the show, bringing along a food donation.

On the Holiday Train stage, Ron Jones, Windsor's Ward 2 councilor and Sylvia Harron, president of the Windsor Food Bank Association, accepted a cheque from CP for $3,000.00, from Ken Duffy, operations field manager, who represented Canadian Pacific and the Windsor area employees. "Our food banks are being used this year more than ever," councilor Jones later said, "The money will go a long way throughout Windsor and Essex County. "CP does a beautiful job and has become one of the food bank's biggest supporters" Ms. Harron added.

Photo: (l to r) Ken Duffy, operations field manager, in Windsor, Ontario presents a cheque for $3,000.00 to Ward 2 councilor Ron Jones and Sylvia Harron, president of the Windsor Food Bank Association

The constant cold and windy temperatures again were a governing factor in this day's schedule. From both the public's point of view, since they're waiting outside at the various show locations, and from the artists', as well. They're onstage with bare fingers either picking at their guitar or electric violin strings or banging on the keyboard and drum kit. The overhead heaters do some good, but when the wind is blasting in through the wide stage doors, there's not much that can be done about it.

Tuesday had the train stopping for four full shows as well as two stop-and-gos, as they've been named. The stop and go is where the train is spotted with the tail end car on the crossing where we've been asked to stop. Often these requests come in from towns that aren't on the full schedule, but would like to do so. The two today were on the Parry Sound subdivision at Pickerel and Rutter, located between Shawanaga First Nation and Sudbury.

Wednesday, December  05, 2007 --  With the brake test complete, locomotive engineer Larry Krupa and conductor Mike McGuire, guided the Holiday Train out of  Hamilton's Aberdeen Yard. Under a beautiful blue December sky, the Train rolled past Guelph Junction and onto the Galt subdivision, enroute to the first of three Southern Ontario Service Area (SOSA) evening shows.

The Holiday Train coach car took on a group of lucky SOSA employees and their kids for the ride to Cambridge. Hot chocolate and cider proved to be almost as popular as the impromptu Christmas songs performed by Tracey Brown, Randall Prescott and Ken Post. Among the riders was grade nine student Jordan Boland, son of SOSA employee, Larry Boland. "Every time the Holiday Train came to town my dad would bring me to see it" said Jordan. "I thought I could help with the Holiday Train by volunteering to take pictures and doing anything else that needed to be done." he added. Gerry Gionet, manager operations, who Jordan had contacted about the opportunity to volunteer, couldn't have agreed more; after all, it's exactly what the spirit of the Holiday Train is all about!

As darkness fell and the sky turned an electric blue, the Holiday Train lights came alive and took on a magical look. The thermometer registered a chilly -15° C which meant that long johns, thick socks and sweaters became the required evening attire.

Cambridge turned out a crowd of close to 3,000 and they were treated to Christmas classics as well as to some of the artist's more recent releases. The thirty minute show went all too fast and it felt as though no sooner had the stage doors slid open than it was time to pack up and move on!

Ninety minutes later and what felt like several degrees cooler, the Holiday Train pulled up to an estimated crowd of  almost 2,000 that filled the Woodstock station platform. Michael Hardy, Woodstock's Mayor, pumped up the crowd and encouraged everyone to put their hands together and "give the Holiday Train a real loud Woodstock welcome!". Most people soon forgot about the cold as Tracey, Colin, Maureen and Karen soon had everyone dancing, clapping and singing along.

There was a sense of excitement as the performers climbed up onto the Holiday Train stage in the heart of downtown London, Ontario for the evening's last performance. The newly chosen location, with nearby apartment buildings, restaurants and stores, was a dramatic departure from many of the yards and stations where the Holiday Train cast is most often found. The City of London had agreed to shut down Richmond Street, one of the city's busiest thoroughfares and allow the Holiday Train to block the crossing. A crowd of about 1,000 was double the number from last year's event. There's no doubt this much sought after site will attract a much larger and diverse crowd in coming years. In what has developed into the grande finale, Tracey Brown, Colin Linden and Karen and Maureen Ennis united to sing a medley of Christmas favourites that had everyone singing along.

Photo: In the heart of downtown London

Bass player on the holiday train band. My usual gig is with Ennis, but this is my fourth time on the train and second time having the pleasure of playing bass for all of these wonderful musicians. I am working from Nashville these days so the Christmas spirit hadn’t quite set in yet, but the minute I set foot on the train, it came flooding back. Tracey Brown and Ken Post are old friends now, and seeing them again is a blast. The addition of Colin Linden is making for amazing chemistry and I just know this is shaping up to be something really special. Making music for a living is something so special, but seeing the faces of the children ( young and old ) when this train stops is amazing. Incredible people volunteering their time in their own communities, coming out on cold nights to share warm hearts. It is such an honor to do this. I’ll write more about the towns and people as we go along, but for now, thank you CP for giving me the opportunity to be a part of something so wonderful. See you soon – can’t wait.

Mark Murphy – Bass player, Ennis

The Canadian Holiday train pulled out of east-end Toronto’s Agincourt Yard in late afternoon, being moved to the Distillery District for that evening’s show. It was quite spectacular with the train’s lights brightly lit within site of the Queen City’s tower, itself lit with powerful coloured floodlights. This was the first event that featured the cooperative effort CP is enjoying this year with Meal Exchange, a national student-founded, student-driven organization that provides young Canadians meaningful opportunities to help reduce local hunger.

The train’s second and final stop of the day was at Vaughan, where an enthusiastic crowd, shivering in the below-freezing weather, rocked with artists Wide Mouth Mason and Melanie Doane.

It was also a special celebratory day … Earl, Wide Mouth Mason’s bassist, turned 33 years old today. The Holiday Train cast and crew fêted this special day with a locally-acquired ice cream cake.

Day two of the Canadian train held more anxiety about the weather than any other issue. Field Operations and the Montreal Operations Center kept the train on time, all the time, with freight traffic held back only during the actual events. The primary concern was to ensure safe operations and the safety of the public. Local police and First Responders were on hand at all locations to lend CP Police a hand with crowd and traffic control.

The weather was cold and windy. The train managed to beat the heavy snowfall that hit Montréal, but by the time the train was in Bowmanville, the day's fifth and last event, the show took place in pouring sleet/rain. Despite the weather, large crowds braved the elements to come and enjoy the show.

Coach attendant Nadine Magee had a full day with riders; employees and their families traveling from one show to the next. There were so many compliments on her hot chocolate that we asked her just what she was doing that was so special: "It's the love, that's what makes it so special." 

Sharlene Olscam, spouse of Richard Young of St-Luc's Mechanical Department, and a volunteer aboard the Canadian Holiday Train, recalls a very touching moment en route to the Bowmanville event. "I was watching the world go by, when I glanced at a little house close to the tracks. I saw an elderly couple standing watching the train pass by. He had his arm around his obviously long-time companion. I felt wonderful and inspired by their tenderness."

Holiday Train Coordinator John Dorais, spoke of a moment when the show was outside the Belleville Hospital. "Given the time of year, I found it fitting to be at this location, especially when I could see the look of delight in the eyes of the children, knowing how important it was to be here." 

Went to Oneonta, Cobleskill and Delanson. Good crowds – nice people as usual. A few bugs to work out with the P.A. but nothing so drastic as to hinder the show. Sure is a good crew. Everyone goes the extra mile. Kids seem to be really enjoying the show. As usual, Paddy McGinty’s Goat” gives everyone a huge laugh.

Ken Post – production manager, U.S. Holiday Train

I was excited to see a couple of inches of snow on the ground this morning when I woke up. The first snow fall of the year for me. When we went outside for rehearsal, I started a snowball fight. No one was really liking me too much, flicking freezing cold snow around, but I was enjoying myself. Rehearsal ended up taking place inside and it ran smoothly. I’m absolutely loving the music and the rest of the artists. The talent is incredible. The shows went great and we were well received by the crowds. And the cool thing is that it wasn’t that cold.

Karen Ennis

Into NY state we start to get in to a rhythm, settling in to our rooms, working out the show, getting our train legs ( and bruised elbows ) and sleeping in rail yards. We awoke to a beautiful carpeting of snow following two great shows in Scranton and Binghamton. The music is coming together and everyone is loving the yearly celebration of the holiday train band.

Tracey Brown

I guess I am the new guy…still, I could not have been given a warmer welcome. We have 5 shows under our belt now and I think we're starting to hit it. The last show, in Delanson, NY, was the best one yet. There was a big bonfire out in front of the stage and it really spoke a lot about the folks there. There were throngs of kids hanging around at the front of the stage and no matter how cool they may have wanted to be, they surrendered to their enthusiasm and put out the best energy you could have imagined.

Colin Linden

Working on the holiday train has allowed me to revisit the towns on the Delaware and Hudson Railway, now CP system, where many of my memories were formed. They are the shops, the locomotives, the scenery, and most importantly, the people with whom I had formed warm friendships with. They are wonderful people who not only performed their jobs with care, but took the time to share their railroad experiences and knowledge with me. I have been absent from these places for many years and the Holiday Train has become a continuous homecoming that has made me realize that the people of the railroad, and those that love it, are the only part of my memories that I could not do without. Wonderful people, good employees, and good friends.

Rob Mangels – contractor, Canadian Pacific

We traveled through New York state on Friday on our way to Pennsylvania. There is lots to see in New York state – beautiful scenery and a wealth of history in the communities that we pass through. As we moved, countless people stopped to wave, take pictures and hopefully grab a little bit of our Christmas spirit.

We were lucky to be housed overnight in Steamtown Historical Park in Scranton, PA. All the history of the train and its cars fit right in with the others on the site. The railway is a vital part of the history of Scranton and CP plays an important role in preserving this history in the US northeast.

Photo right: This is Ryan from Oneonta, NY. We talked with his grandad, who told us that at the first snowfall this year, his 3 year old grandson said "my train is coming." Grandad probed a little further and Ryan said "my train with Santa".

According to drummer/production manager Ken Post, now on his fifth tour with the train, he keeps coming back because the Holiday Train does so much good for people who need a little extra help. Ken's work is difficult - bringing together the technical pieces of the show, in sometimes less than ideal weather conditions – but, he says, no matter what happens, at the end of the day he feels as though he has done something good. As a bonus, his experience helps him and his wife get in to the Christmas spirit every year.

The show took place beside the platform in Steamtown. 300 or more people were on hand to cheer us on as we pulled up beside the station. Many of these are dedicated rail fans – pins and hats from previous visits were on display throughout the crowd. Of course, most of the crowd were children – maybe future rail fans themselves.

Six local dignitaries welcomed us and once again the food bank truck was filled quickly as people arrived. Stop #1 of the official tour set the bar pretty high for all subsequent shows. Colin Linden joined the entertainers, completing an outstanding group that will wow crowds in over 100 towns and cities.

After Scranton we arrived in Binghamton, NY. When we arrived, local CP police told us that they had been forced to find space additional space for all the cars that showed up in the yard where the show was held. Out of these cars came more than 2000 people to cheer us on. Once again, the CP police and other local employees deserve kudos for ensuring that the crowd was safely and comfortably in position to enjoy the show.

The first speaker represented the mayor of Binghamton and presented us with a great surprise. As a token of gratitude for the work the Holiday Train has performed over the years he proclaimed December 1, 2007 Canadian Pacific Railway Holiday Train Day, adding that the train "symbolizes hope and community support through its fight to ensure that every individual is able to fulfill one of our most basic human needs." What an honor - a first for the train and one heartily endorsed by the crowd.

For this show, there were so many children that Santa ran out of candy canes and had to be restocked!!

There are too many employees to name all that have volunteered their time, good will and generosity to ensure that the train is a success. They represent CP very well in their communities and we are happy to be able to help them give something back. Special thanks go to Vince, Jason, Ryan, Tony, Wayne and all of the rest of you that have helped us so far along the way and thanks in advance to those of you that are preparing to do so later in the trip. These are just a few of the hundreds of CP employees that work selflessly every day to make their communities a better place to live.

After months of preparation, hundreds of hours of labor, the US holiday train left Montreal at 18:00 and headed south for its first stop of 2007. The first stop was at Kahnawake, and we easily kept on schedule, arriving to an excited crowd of around 300 people. As we arrived it began to snow, making it the perfect scene for a Christmas show.

Also in the crowd were the CP police and representatives from Operation Lifesaver. First a cheque for $1500.00 was presented to the local food basket program. After a few words from Grand Chief Mike Delisle, the show was ready to begin.

For the first two stops, we are lucky to have Denis Seguin performing and he kicked off this show. The crowd was enthusiastic and joined in with Tracey Brown and Ennis when the Christmas songs began. It was great to see Mohawk elders and children singing along together to the songs – some in their own language.

Santa was definitely the star of the show for the children though, given a hero’s welcome and goodbye.

About an hour later, we pulled in at Lacolle – close to the US border. What greeted us there was quite a surprise for someone who had not been there before. Around 1000 people waited by the old station for us, cheering very loudly. Marjolaine Guay, of the Centre de Benevolat and Mayor Yves Duteau appeared on stage to thank CP and the people of their town for their support and were presented with a cheque for $1000.

Given the amount of people in attendence, the CP police on site had to be very alert – and they ensured that everyone safely enjoyed the show. The show was highlighted by Ennis’ version of Paddy Mcginty’s goat – which certainly got everyone dancing - and a bilingual version of Silent Night.  Santa again worked the crowd, handing out hundreds of candy canes to grateful kids.

The best part of the Holiday Train has to be the fact that it brings entire communities together to celebrate the Christmas season. The food bank trucks were filled at both stops by people eager to help others less fortunate than themselves. The Holiday Train itself is an incredible display, and if you have the chance you definitely need to go out and see it.

We are set to cross the border tonight and to head down to Scranton, PA for a show on Saturday.

Only days away now...

I've been in Wide Mouth Mason for a dozen years.  In that time I've crossed the entire country quite a few times and parts of it more 

times than I can count.   I prefer land travel to air travel; I like 

watching the landscape unfurl out my window,  the terrain morphing from one extreme to the other as I pass through what would be dozens of countries on some continents in the space of a province or two.

Last year I rode the Holiday Train for the first time and whenever we weren't performing I was usually situated at the back of the last car, where the caboose would have been years ago, dressed in a parka and wielding a camera.  I'd never before had such an amazing vantage point, as the tracks are metres instead of kilometres from the cliffs and great lakes, the train goes through mountains that cars ride over or around...  We ride in cars from the early twentieth century, for the most part without cell service, internet access or television, and it feels like it could be 1917.

This year I plan to take full advantage of this rare opportunity to 

record an acoustic record on the train as it rolls down the track.  

The rhythm of the train inspired the pulse of blues, rock and roll and country music, and I'm going to play new songs that I wrote just for this project, songs about travel, leaving and returning home, about Canada, about trains...  I'm going to record in different cars, in different provinces, capturing the space and sounds around me as I play.  The record will be available early next year.

All aboard!

Shaun

I am two weeks from departing on my awesome train adventure.
Have been having phone meetings with the boys in the band and getting arrangements locked down etc. I feel like the picture in my head of what it's going to be like, is probably not how it will actually be ( only cause it's hard to visualize the living quarters, the stage, the whole scene ) but in this instance I am starting to think it's all going to be even more fun than I can imagine. The players are GREAT, the setting. . .well. . .going across this country by train is the ultimate Canadian right of passage.

When I was a kid my folks took my brother and sister and I from Halifax ( my home town) across Canada to Vancouver. Dad was teaching in various cities along the way and we saw the country for the first time. I remember our bunk beds, the bingo games , the many porters we grew to love, the endless beautiful Prairies, the tunnels through the Rockies, playing our ukuleles as people came by and met us and jammed with us.

This was when my parents taught us that we were ambassadors of Nova Scotia. We represented our province and needed to always be proud and respectful of that . I was in grade 3.

md

As a co-producer of the Holiday Train the weeks leading up to the tour are always filled with so many details:  hotel rooms, flights, song selections, paperwork, lighting and sound requirements etc., as well as the finishing touches of my own c.d. release.

Now I look at the calendar and realize that we’re  only 2 weeks away from Holiday Train U.S. tour kick off.

I can hardly wait to get back in the train and get into the towns and cities that we have become like familiar friends that we have yearly visits with. Dancing mascots, baskets of cookies, museums, miles of awe-faced kids laughing and singing, community support in such astounding levels it's hard to take it all in.  We've heard some amazingly touching stories from food bank representatives , ministers, volunteers, dignitaries and sometimes those who turn to  the food bank.  You can't help but be touched by the sights and sounds of what the train is all about. Figures stay with you,  national levels , community levels, individual levels. It comes into perspective so clearly with the words ….. “we put together 1,200, 600, 200, 8,000 hampers for distribution in our community”.

It's comforting to know that for one night we all come together to let people know about the need, to put some food and money into local food banks and to sing a few tunes aboard a pretty spectacular train we call home for 3 weeks. 

One night in each community with loads of those wide eyed, smiling, singing faces. 

Hard to beat this kind of tour.

Tracey

This is my fourth year working on the CP Holiday Train. As a musician, there is no better way for me to wind down my year than being a part of this wonderful experience. I look forward to playing music with old friends such as Wide Mouth Mason and friends I haven't met (Melanie Doane). The CP family all throughout Canada are great people - they go out of there way to make me feel welcome and I love my time with them.  

I think my favorite part of the experience are the performances. Describing these gigs to my musician friends who haven't seen the train is always entertaining. They're blown away by the concept. This is followed by envy and the token "Hey - if you ever need a (insert instrument here) player for your train gig, give me a call...). Pulling into a town, climbing into the stage car, opening the doors and rocking out for some of the most appreciative and generous crowds I've ever played for is an amazing experience. It kick starts my Christmas and makes me feel really good inside. I can't wait until Dec. 1. What a ride!

We are so happy to be apart of the Holiday Train again this year. We've had the pleasure of performing on the train for several years now and it has become part of our Christmas tradition. We feel that bringing awareness to food banks is important anytime of the year, but it takes on a special meaning during the holiday season when so many people have to do without. We will have the privilege of riding the train with some of the most wonderful and talented people we know. Which is always a good thing when you live in such close quarters with everyone for 3 weeks. Linda makes the best coffee and hot chocolate, which is very important on those freezing cold nights. Tracey Brown is the one who makes sure we're on the ball and we stay on schedule. Mark Murphy and Kenny Post work hard to make sure that we sound good every night on stage and Maureen and I over look all of these folks to make sure they're all doing a good job. This year, we'll be traveling with Colin Linden and while we've never met him before, we've talked with him on the phone. He sounds like a very cool guy and we're looking forward to meeting him.

So with only one week to go until the start of the tour, we have to prepare ourselves mentally for the cold (hey, we live in Nashville now so we're spoiled with all this nice weather), physically for the cold (I can't stress how cold it can get out there some nights) and we have to practice up on our board game playing skills to make sure, as always, the girl's team will win hands down against the ever trying boy's team (we've already informed Colin about this fact). We're really excited to get out there again on the train and we know we're going to have a great time. We can't wait to see all the familiar faces and this year, thanks to our Myspace page (http://www.myspace.com/ennissisters) we will be able to met some of our biggest supporters and friends like Amoreena and Linda Tea. Please be sure to come out and join us and help to support a really important cause.  Together we can make the holiday season so much better for so many people.

-Karen