CP Holiday Train Nov. 28 [1] from ckingphoto [2] on Vimeo [3].
By Suzanne Coolen
BELLEVILLE – Hundreds of people braved the cold to watch Canadian musicians Jim Cuddy [4] and Melanie Doane [5]perform live in support of Gleaners Food Bank Thursday.
Cuddy and Doane were performing on the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train, which rolled into Bayshore Park Thursday afternoon.
Admission was free but people were asked to bring a donation of cash or a non-perishable food item.
Doane performed first, then joined Cuddy for some songs [6]that included Christmas tunes.
Mayor Neil Ellis was on hand and presented the performers with gift bags.
The train carried on from Belleville to stops in Trenton and Brighton.
The holiday trains travel across Canada and the United States and reach more than 150 communities a year. In the 15 years the program has been operating it has raised more than $7 million and about 3 million pounds of food for North American food banks. CP makes donations at each stop and this year presented Gleaners with a cheque for $7,000.
The trains have another two weeks of stops before finishing up in Port Coquitlam, B.C., on Dec. 16.
[7]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13)-The CP Rail Train is traveling all over Canada making stops in more than 150 cities, towns and villages featuring musical performances and promoting donations for local food banks. Photo by Carla Antonio.
[8]BELLEVILLE, Ont (28/11/13) – As the CP Rail Holiday Train made a stop through Belleville, children and adults gathered to celebrate the visit. All proceeds of the donations went to Gleaner’s Food Bank. Photo by Julia Karpiuk.
[9]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13) — The CP Rail Holiday Train made its way through Belleville, Ont. on Thursday, November 28, 2013 stopping at the Bayshore Trail. The train had live music and a visit from the man in red. Photo by Justin Greaves
[10]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13) — The CP Rail Holiday Train made its way through Belleville, Ont. on Thursday, November 28, 2013 stopping at the Bayshore Trail. The train had live music and a visit from the man in red. Photo by Justin Greaves
[11]BELLEVILLE, Ont (28/11/13) – Jim Cuddy performs at the CP Rail Holiday Train. Photo by Carla Antonio.
[12]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13)- Melanie Doane performs with the CP Rail Holiday Train tour along with Jim Cuddy. Photo by Julia Karpiuk.
[13]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13). Santa gives out candy to eager children at the CP Train concert. Photo by Julia Karpiuk.
[14]BELLEVILLE, Ont. (28/11/13) – Families from the Quinte area gathered along the railway line near the Bayshore Trail in Belleville, Ontario on November 28, 2013 for the annual CP Rail Holiday Train. The crowd was entertained by Jim Cuddy and Melanie Doan and the event was to benefit Gleaner’s Food Bank. Photo by Emily Cumming