Medicine Hat-raised MacKenzie Porter performs a mix of Christmas and hit country songs onboard the CPKC Holiday Train. She was joined by artist Dallas Smith.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Decked out in hundred of thousands of bright LED lights, the CPKC Holiday Train arrived for a brief stop in Medicine Hat on Tuesday afternoon.
Hundreds of children and adults gathered near the train tracks along N. Railway Street as the decorated train arrived in Medicine Hat.
“My kids were happy, my son love trains. When I picked both the kids up and they were watching and just yelling ‘there’s the train, there’s the train’,” a father in attendance with his two children told the News.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes. it was like the biggest lights I’ve even seen. It’s very cool and I’ve never seen these lights on a train,” a young girl said to the News.
Riding on board was Medicine Hat’s own MacKenzie Porter who performed a variety of Christmas and country tunes with guest Dallas Smith.
“They were so excited to see all the lights and the noise and everything, they are very excited to see the music,” a mom with her children told the News. “They’ve been looking forward to it for days.”
Along its tour the CPKC Holiday Train makes donations to local food banks at each stop.
The Root Cellar received a $9,000 donation to help provide food and other necessities to families in need this Holiday Season.
Since 1999 the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more the $22 million and more than five million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.
Following its Medicine Hat stop the Holiday Train made a visit to Tilley, Brooks and finished its evening in Gleichen.
