The CP Holiday Train made its first ever stop in the City of Yorkton. When the doors of the stage came down, Colin James and Emma-Lee entertained the crowd, warming the audience who came out in the cold with a free concert.
This is the third time that James has toured with the train, and he leapt at the opportunity to ride the rails with CP. The cars where the band lives are heritage cars, close to 100 years old, and James says they relish the opportunity to get to know each other as a band and to see Canada inside a piece of its history.
“Where else would you get the opportunity to have a lifestyle, even if it’s only for a week or two, like this?”
The tour goes to a wide range of communities, with the first stop on Monday being in Bredenbury, before the train continued to Yorkton, followed by Foam Lake, Wynyard and finally Saskatoon. While some communities might be more conservative with applause than others, he believes people just want to have a good time and he aims to provide it.
Of course, it is an outdoor concert in the winter in Canada. That comes with its own challenges, especially if your job is to play guitar. The hands are the greatest challenge for the band if it gets truly cold, but this year has not been too bad, and James’ heritage has prepared him.
“We had a couple close to frozen moments last year, where I was taking a shower and I couldn’t tell if the water was hot or not, and it was scalding. That’s the most challenging, keeping your teeth from chattering when you’re singing and keeping your hands fluid... I’m from here as you know, and I remember as kids being out in jean jackets at the stupidest time of year, and I haven’t changed a bit.”
The tour entertains crowds with a decorated train and a concert, but it has a second goal in mind as well, to help end hunger in Canada. At each stop, money is presented to a local food bank, with Yorkton’s Salvation Army getting $4,000 at the Yorkton stop.
While this is the first time the train has stopped in Yorkton, James hopes that it won’t be the last.
“Hopefully it will be a tradition that just carries on.”
