CALGARY, July 25, 2017 /CNW/ - Canadian Pacific (CP) today
officially launched its CP Canada 150 train tour with a kickoff
ceremony at its Calgary
headquarters with federal and provincial government officials and
members of the Tsuut'ina Nation, who blessed the train.
The train is now heading west to Port
Moody, B.C., for the first event on July 28. Over the next three weeks the train will
travel across Canada bringing with
it a cross-country, Canada 150
block party to 13 cities.
"It is my honour and privilege to represent CP and its employees
– past and present – in officially kicking off the CP Canada 150
train," said Keith Creel, CP
President and CEO. "I encourage all Canadians to come out and see
the train, enjoy the family show and activities, and celebrate this
great railroad and this great country."
As it rolls across the country, the CP Canada 150 Train will
reconnect generations of Canadians through shared stories and
celebration, as we honour the country's past, while acknowledging
the leaders of the present, and look toward a bright future.
"It is my honour to be here today to mark the start of this
special train at CP's Ogden Yard," said the Honourable Kent Hehr,
MP for Calgary Centre. "Calgary
and our province were connected to the rest of the country through
a vision of a railway that had east meet west. Our last 150 years
was a fulfillment of this dream of a nation united, and this train
is a commitment to the thousands of youths and their dreams and
passions for the next 150 in front of us."
Today's kickoff ceremony was also the unveiling of the Spirit of
Tomorrow railcar, which, as it moves across Canada, will be decorated with thousands of
handwritten cards from children outlining their dreams for the
future.
"We thank CP for running this tour across Canada and look forward to celebrating
Canada 150 with them," said the
Honourable Joe Ceci, Alberta's
Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board and MLA for
Calgary-Fort. "We are proud to have CP based in Calgary and recognize their important
contribution not only to this city, but to this province for more
than 130 years."
At each three-hour event, community members will enjoy a variety
of activities including performances by 13-time Canadian Country
Music Award winner and two-time Juno Award winner, Dean Brody, Aboriginal entertainer and world
champion hoop dancer Dallas Arcand
and our house band, the Rail Road Ramblers, featuring Kelly Prescott. Eagle and Hawk will bring their
unique sound of fusing traditional Indigenous themes with roots
rock to events in Edmonton and
Winnipeg.
To commemorate the beginning of the journey, members of the
Tsuut'ina Nation performed a traditional blessing ceremony, asking
for safe journey and protection while acknowledging the traditional
lands our communities are on and CP's long history with Indigenous
Peoples.
"The Tsuut'ina Nation would like to acknowledge CP for its
history of forging links across this vast country," said Ellery
Starlight, Councillor, Tsuut'ina Nation. "Links that have
contributed to the development of a strong and united Canada.
Tsuut'ina thanks CP for their support and their desire to reflect
that foundational role in this celebration. Tsuut'ina looks forward
to working with CP as we move forward, together."
Canadians of all ages can enjoy this family-friendly occasion
while exploring images and facts pulled from CP's archives,
decorating their very own conductor's hat or capturing a photo at
the Empress photo station.
Since the tour's announcement in May, CP has been celebrating
how the railway connected the nation through their
#ConnectingCanada campaign, including the viral 'Whistle' video,
launch of a heritage website and storytelling with daily archival
photos on social media. Many Canadians have joined the conversation
about the railways role in Canada,
and have shared their personal railway stories in the CP Canada 150
contest. When the contest wraps on July
31, two lucky Canadians will get to bring a guest to stay on
this one-of-a-kind train for two days and two nights. Get your
short story entry in today before it's too late.
NOTE TO EDITORS: A full backgrounder on CP's Canada 150 train, fun facts about each
location, specific event details and photos and video is available
on www.cpr.ca
About Canadian Pacific
Canadian Pacific is a
transcontinental railway in Canada
and the United States with direct
links to eight major ports, including Vancouver and Montreal, providing North American customers a
competitive rail service with access to key markets in every corner
of the globe. CP is growing with its customers, offering a suite of
freight transportation services, logistics solutions and supply
chain expertise. Visit cpr.ca to see the rail advantages of CP.
SOURCE Canadian Pacific