The CP Holiday Train will once again be rolling across Canada and into the United States this year, collecting donations for food banks across North America.

And the brightly-lit and festively-decorated train will be making a stop in Okotoks as it travels across Canada during its 19th annual tour.

While the holiday train is guaranteed to bring excitement to town, Mallory McCredie, media relations advisor with Canadian Pacific, says it has brought much more than that to communities over the years.

She says local food banks benefit from the CP Holiday Train tour.

"Essentially, what we're doing is we're visiting as many communities as we can along our railway," McCredie explains. "And in each community, a local food bank will benefit from the fundraiser. And every dollar and every food donation that's raised in that community stays within the community."

She points out that since the first tour in 1999, the CP  Holiday Train has raised over 13 million dollars and four million pounds of food for local food banks.

This year's entertainment for the Okotoks stop will feature Alan Doyle and the Beautiful Band.

"There will be a presentation by CP to the local food bank," McCredie says. "We do a donation, as well as all the donations that are raised by people attending the show. Then there's about a 20-minute concert. The band will perform some of their modern hits and some traditional Christmas music and then the door goes up and we roll out to the next town."

The CP Holiday Train will be in Okotoks for half an hour on Sunday, December 10 from 12 noon to 12:30 p.m. After stopping here, it heads out to its next stop in Blackie.

Although the CP Holiday Train event is free, those planning to attend are asked to bring along a monetary or food donation for the food bank.

Questions, comments, or story ideas? Email us at news@okotoksonline.com