Festive ride

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train rolled its way into Thunder Bay on Friday night, bringing with it the ever-popular Christmas lobster.

Well, at least Pat Steward, drummer for the Canadian alternative rock band The Odds, seemed to capture the pulse of the hundreds of Christmas fanatics who braved sub-zero temperatures, a light dusting of snow and helped raise money for the Regional Food Distribution Association in the name of a good cause.

Steward, who led the audience in a fast-paced, near-metal version of “Jingle bells, Batman smells,” donned a lobster toque for the show, joined by kangaroo-sporting lead vocalist Craig Northey, donkey-wearing guitarist Murray Atkinson and sock monkey-capped bassist Doug Elliott as the star attractions of the train, making its seventh stop of the day on a cross-country Yuletide journey.

The band, who played several of its mid-‘90s hits, including Someone Who is Cool and It Falls Apart, mixed in with their own take on traditional Christmas favourites during the half-hour stop, had a little advice for the younger set in the crowd.

“How many of you people out there have drum sets or amps at home,” Atkinson asked. “Well, on Christmas Eve that’s when you get to break them out as long as you can hear them outside at 11.”

Their antics hit home with the audience.

“I thought it was really good,” said John Steadwell, whose two young sons were in tow on Friday night. “It’s always nice when the kids get to go out and enjoy the fresh air and see all the neat lights on the train.”

CP’s Randy Marsh, who took to the stage to introduce the band, said the Holiday Train has been making the journey across the country since 1991, and has collected 2.3 million pounds of food to help replenish local food banks.

On top of the food donations, they’ve also filled food bank coffers to the tune of $4.8 million.

“Thanks to the generosity of people like you, we are raising money, food and awareness to fight hunger. Everything raised here tonight stays right here in the community,” said Marsh, a director of government and public affairs with the rail line.

Their journey began last Saturday in Montreal, and Marsh said it’s more important than ever for people to give.

“The need is ever greater, with overall food bank use up 10 per cent this year, so please give generously.”

Kelly Hicks, who represented the RFDA on Friday night, said she finds it hard to believe the support the Holiday Train gets each year.

In turn that means good things for her organization, which supplies food to food banks throughout Northwestern Ontario.

“I’m overwhelmed every time I’ve stood up here the last few years. There’s more and more people showing up and we really appreciate it because here in Thunder Bay in the last food years food bank usage has gone up 89 per cent,” said Hicks, the RFDA vice-chair. “Forty per cent of those people are children that need food from our food banks.”

Perhaps the biggest cheer of the night was reserved for Margaret Hyer, wife of NDP MP Bruce Hyer, whose flight was delayed, preventing him from taking the stage.

“He should have come by train,” she said. “Trains are really special to all of us in Canada. They tie us together from sea to sea. The only extra thing we need is a passenger train here in Thunder Bay. So you work on that.”

The train will pass through Ignace, Dryden, Kenora and Vermillion Bay on Saturday.