Canadian Pacific Holiday Train is 'an enormous financial benefit' for northwest Minnesota food shelves
Dec. 12—PLUMMER, Minn. — The population of Plummer, Minnesota, grows rapidly when the Canadian Pacific Holiday Train comes to town, says Catherine Johnson, executive director of the Inter-County Community Council in Oklee, Minnesota.
She expects the town of 270 to be filled with thousands of people celebrating the holidays and supporting local food shelves as the Holiday Train returns to Plummer for the first time since 2019.
"I often say it quadruples the population of Plummer every year," she said.
On Dec. 15, the Holiday Train, a Canadian Pacific train decorated with holiday lights, is making stops in Plummer and Thief River Falls, Minnesota, after two years of virtual shows because of COVID-19. Each stop of the free event features a live musical performance and is an opportunity for event-goers to donate money and non-perishable food items to local food shelves. CP also makes a donation to food shelves at each stop.
Johnson says the donations from CP and event attendees in Plummer are split between two food shelves in Red Lake County: the Inter-County Community Council Food Shelf in Oklee and Red Lake Falls Food Shelf.
"It's an enormous financial benefit for our food shelves," said Johnson. "The amount that they give is just so generous."
In 2019, the event raised more than $6,000 and 1,400 pounds of food total for the two food shelves. In 2020 and 2021, CP still donated to food shelves along its routes, Johnson said.
The train is expected to arrive at the railway crossing on Central Avenue in Plummer at 6 p.m., but the festivities in town begin two hours earlier. Before the train arrives, starting at 4 p.m., the Tri Rivers Museum will be open for tours, popcorn and hot chocolate and Bethany Lutheran Church Group is serving a light lunch. Starting at 5 p.m., Santa and the Red Lake County Central Elementary Choir will also make appearances at the Plummer Community Hall and Tri Rivers Pioneer Museum.
Throughout the evening, firefighters direct traffic.
"The whole community comes together, and actually, everybody is needed because it grows the community in one night," said Johnson.
A full schedule for the event in Plummer is available on the "
CP Holiday Train Stop, Plummer Minnesota
" Facebook page.
After Plummer, the train is scheduled to arrive at the CP Depot in Thief River Falls at 7:30 p.m. At the Thief River Falls stop, all donations go directly to the Thief River Falls Food Shelf.
Both locations will feature performances by Canadian singer-songwriters Alan Doyle and Kelly Prescott.
Before its Plummer and Thief River Falls stops on Thursday, the Holiday Train is also making stops in the Minnesota cities of Glenwood, Alexandria, Detroit Lakes and Mahnomen. A full list of locations and times can be found at
.
The Holiday Train tradition started in 1999. Since then, CP has raised more than $21 million and collected 5 million pounds of food for food shelves along its rail network.
