UPDATED:
Safety concerns prompted Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) to skip Midhurst on the CPKC Holiday Train's list of stops this month.
"Recently, our partners – including, CPKC, Township staff, the OPP, and Fire & Emergency Services – have become aware of heightened safety concerns for this event in 2024. It was mutually agreed that the Springwater stop would be removed from the 2024 Holiday Train schedule. This decision allows us ample time to work with CPKC in finding a safer and more suitable location for the 2025 event. Despite the logistical necessity, as CPKC had already published this year’s schedule, it necessitated the unfortunate removal of our stop," said Jenna Reid, communications assistant for Springwater Township.
Reid noted CPKC has committed to continue to financially support the Barrie and Elmvale Food Banks this year.
"We are dedicated to collaborating with CPKC to secure a safe, enjoyable return in 2025 and for years to come," she added.
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The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday train will not make its usual seasonal stop in Midhurst. The train will pass through the area on Nov. 30 on its journey to western Canada with stops scheduled that day in Mactier and Parry Sound.
The Midhurst stop on Anne Street North and Wenden Court near the Highway 26 railway crossing has been a fixture for hundreds of people each holiday season. The train, lit with decorations, features a boxcar stage and musical entertainment, and representatives from area food banks are on hand to collect donations from the public.
In an email to the railway asking why Midhurst was not a stop this year, a spokesperson for CPKC asked that we contact Springwater Township. Barrie 360 has reach out to Springwater officials.
Since 1999, CPKC says more than $24.3 million and over $5.3 million pounds of food for community food banks have been collected in Canada and the United States.
Where you can see the train on Nov. 30:
Performers at each stop: Tyler Shaw and Shawnee Kish
Vaughan: 11 a.m. - 11:30 a.m., Nashville Road
Mactier: 3 p.m. - 3:20 p.m., CPKC Station
Parry Sound: 4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m., 1 Avenue Road