Canadian Pacific Holiday Train

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train arrived tonight and we went downtown to see it. This photo shows the front of the train reflected in the Mississippi River. The train colects food and money for North American food banks.

Valancy and David came out earlier in the day to help put up a funky handmade Christmas sign that we found in the garage. They stayed for roast beef and to go see the train.

There was music ("Christmas in the Valley" was the highlight) and kids running all around, rolling down the train grade. I hope no one was under the train when it left! We walked around to see all the lights. Wayne Rostad (Valley Boy), the Moffats, and Amanda Stott sang.

The night was clear and very starry, temperature about -5 C. Very little wind, as you can see in the picture by the river. The town was decorated and lively; truckloads of food were collected and big plastic tubs full of bills. Valancy and I thought that the whole scene was very like the movie "One Magic Christmas," which is our family favourite. It was shot somewhere in old small town Ontario.

My father worked for many years for Canadian Pacific, as did several of my uncles. Even I worked for the "Sleepy R" as Dad called it, for a year. I was their first female "Office Boy" (official job title) in the Freight Claims Department in Winnipeg. I was promoted to "Junior Over Short and Damaged Clerk" and then "Senior Over Short and Damaged Clerk" while I was there. I went back to University after that. I wish Dad had been there with us; he would have loved it. Mike said that it was the cleanest freight train he'd ever seen. When we were first together, he often worked casual labour jobs unloading boxcars.