The little engine that could is back in business.
Just in time for Canada Day.
The Little Prince, the beloved miniature train that takes passengers on short tours of the south end of Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park will be operating for the first time this year on Sunday, offering free rides from noon to 4 p.m.
The new track has passed inspection, the steam system that powers the train has been inspected and it's all systems go for Sunday's opening, just in time to help celebrate Canada's 151st birthday.
"It's way late, we normally would start on the May long weekend but we had $20,000 worth of track repairs and we had issues with our brakes on it," said Tracy Calogheros, chief executive officer of The Exploration Place, the museum at the park which operates the Little Prince train service.
Three local businesses - A&B Rail,Timber Span and KJM Sales donated time, labor, materials and expertise to get one of the city's most popular summertime attractions operating again.
"Timber Span gave us free wood (for rail ties) last year and we're hoping they'll do the same this year," said Calogheros.
"A&B Rail did all the track repairs but just charged us for materials, and they sourced a bunch of materials for us. KJM Sales actually machined brand-new parts for the brakes because you can't buy parts off the shelf for a 106-year-old train.
"They took the old brakes off the train and (compared) some contemporary parts from CN and created a whole new part. Now (when the brakes need servicing) we can just change brake pads instead of a solid block of steel."
Admission to the museum on Canada Day is by donation and visitors can check out the Lifting the Veil Free Masons exhibit and the Keva building block interactive display.
There will be plenty of free hands-on activities going on in the museum atrium, which will be a crowded place if the skies open and the predicted rain falls. As many as 5,000 people are expected to walk through the doors of the museum on Sunday. In the train station, Frozen Paddle ice cream made locally will be sold.
In the park, the bandstand will be a busy place all day, starting at 11 a.m., with a nationwide simultaneous drumming event that will cover five time zones across the country.
The Canada Day Drumming organization will be celebrating diversity, harmony and peace for a better world in collaboration with the Prince George Chinese Benevolent Society. The drummers will be making an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the most nationalities drumming at the same place at the same time. Last year's attempt at Creekside Park in Vancouver saw 30 nationalities participate and the goal is 50 this year. While that's happening, the local drummers will simultaneously drum with others across the nation.
Among numerous activities going on under the roof of the new pavilion there will be a giant chess set with pieces as big as small child for players to move. Kidsport will have a 1925 Ford Model T on hand as a prop for people to get their picture taken and the $5 fee will be used to provide financial assistance so more kids can play organized sports.
The beach volleyball courts will be set up and proceeds from player registration fees will go to Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
The opening ceremonies start at noon, followed at 12:30 p.m., by a giant cake cutting with free cake for everyone while it lasts. Pow wow dancers, Bollywood Dream dancers, the Philippine cultural dance group and the Zahirah Middle East belly dancers are part of the multicultural entertainment lineup at the park with music supplied by the Prince George Community Band, Ivan Paquette, Khast'an Drum Group and Karl Wyssen. Excalibur Theatre Arts Company will handle the theatrics on stage, along with Judy Russell, who will present Legally Blonde the Musical as the final act of the day at 5:30 p.m.
There will be no shortage of food vendors, information booths and fun activities for the kids, including face painting and craft making. Visitors are being reminded there are no dogs allowed in the park.
The Canada Day celebration culminates in a fireworks display sponsored by Canfor at 11 p.m. at Connaught Hill, which can be easily viewed from the civic centre or Lheidli T'enneh Memorial Park.
