Festooned with Christmas lights, the CPKC Holiday Train pulled into Maple Ridge on Sunday Night, Dec. 17, to put on a free concert for charity.
There were thousands of people in the crowd at the Port Haney Wharf, across from Billy Miner Pub at 22355 River Rd., who were entertained by Tyler Shaw and Kiesza.
The train brought Canadian talent. Kiesza is a Calgary-born singer-songwriter who rose to fame with her breakthrough single “Hideaway” in 2014, which has accrued over a billion streams.
Tyler Shaw is a Vancouver multi-platinum-selling artist, music producer, and actor. He hit platinum sales in 2012 with his first hit song.
Where past concerts have been cold and raining, the weather could not have been better on Sunday night, with just a faint drizzle beginning as people started for home.
“It’s very cool, and it’s really nice that we can walk in. It wasn’t raining, so that was perfect,” said Lucero, as she walked from the concert with friends.
Kelsey Shull was walking with her four-year-old daughter Lilleigh, who was carrying a glowing candy cane that was large enough to use as an actual cane. They hadn’t been to the concert since the year Lilleigh was born, and came from Abbotsford for the show.
They both said they liked the performances, and the family-friendly concert.
“I thought it was really fun. I enjoyed myself, and so did my daughter,” she said, “and we got to see some family.”
Local politicians also had their moment on the stage, presenting funds raised by Maple Ridge Fire and Rescue for the Friends in Need Food Bank. The Firefighters annual Boot Drive raised $12,500 this year, and there was another $7,000 cheque from the CPKC Holiday Train for the food bank.
The concert played from 8 p.m. until 8:30 p.m., then the train was moving on to a similar concert on the tracks in Pitt Meadows for a half hour beginning at 9:05 p.m.
Since its inception in 1999, the CPKC Holiday Train has raised more than $22.5 million and more than 5 million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.
Formerly known as the CP Holiday train, the festive vehicle has been renamed after Canadian Pacific and Kansas City Southern railways combined to create Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) in April of this year.
The train moves on Dec. 18, to performance in Port Moody and Port Coquitlam. The PoMo performance will be at 5:45 p.m., at 300 Ioco Rd., behind Arena and Recreation Center, while the PoCo show will be at 7:15 p.m. on Kingsway Avenue between Mary Hill Road and Wilson Avenue. Tyler Shaw and Kiesza will perform at both shows.
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