Last night I attended the 18th annual Canadian Pacific (CP) Holiday Train with my grand-daughter Rachel. This was the 5th time Rachel and I have attended together but only the first-time Rachel was tall enough to be able to view more than glimpses of the show on the train stage between the heads and bodies of adults in the crowd.
The inspired traveling decorated train is worthy of high praise for it’s ability to raise money and gather food stores for those in need while transporting top notch festive entertainment cross-country; and, it’s wonderful that the Hamilton community has overwhelmingly embraced the Holiday Train tradition.
Worthy cause and fabulous entertainment aside, though, it’s unfortunate that the Kinnear Yard event location in Hamilton’s east end is fraught with viewing, maneuvering, and parking issues; a situation that will only get worse as crowds continue to grow.
To begin with, parking on the Gage Park property is cut off from even those with Accessible parking permits at 6:00 pm, even though the train doesn’t arrive until 7:45 pm. Legal street parking for anyone else is almost non-existent and with bus transportation re-routed, many participants are forced to walk great distances.
Hamilton’s police force seems willing to turn a blind eye to illegal street parking, made necessary by the lack of legal parking in this area; however, normal overflow parking on the ball diamond field in the park is not available for this event, as the field is filled with overflow people who can’t fit onto Lawrence Road to view the show.
Walking on Lawrence Road, where there are no sidewalks and stable footing falls off into a steep gully on the north side, is unnerving in good weather and positively dangerous when mud, snow and ice are involved. Maneuvering around hundreds of people with babies in strollers, toddlers in tow, dogs on leashes, etc., is a recipe for disaster in daylight and worse still after dark while keeping track of loved ones.
Making one’s way from a drop off point at Ottawa Street to the donations truck in the Gage Park parking lot is a journey of epic proportions when carrying heavy bags of food donations. The first year we attended, it took us more than half an hour to find someone who could even tell us where we needed to go.
The biggest problem I’ve found at the Holiday Train event, however, is that most children are not tall enough to see the show: There are at least as many adults as children in the crowd, and most children simply cannot find a viewing angle adequate for seeing the stage.
I’ve tried for five years to squeeze my grand-daughter into a spot where she can view the show, only for her to grow weary and disillusioned. This year 12-yr-old Rachel, finally as tall as my 5 foot 4 inches, still only caught glimpses of the show and again asked if we could go home before Santa even appeared on stage.
Many parents take their children home early, no doubt for the same reason - I’ve seen them. It’s unfortunate, too, because this Holiday Train concept is such a worthy endeavour.
I can’t help but wonder if another location couldn’t be found or changes made at the Kinnear Yard location, so that parking and public transportation is more abundant; maneuvering is safer; and viewing of the show, for children especially, is improved.
I’d hate to see this 18-year tradition become a thing of the past, or my grand-daughter decide she doesn’t want to attend with me anymore. Hopefully, improved logistics would eliminate the problems I see marring this wonderful holiday tradition, and keep the CP Holiday Train rolling through Hamilton for many more years to come.
