Community

The CPKC Holiday Train arrived back in Merrickville on Friday November 28th for its 27th year to support food insecurity in communities across the rail network.

The train rolled into Merrickville in all its glory at 4:45pm, to the approximately 5000 people waiting in anticipation!

This year’s festive stop brought in over 1,600 pounds of food and $2,700.00 in monetary donations, gratefully collected thanks to the generosity of all those who attended, and of course, CPKC’s very gracious cheque presentation again of $4,000.00. 

We’ve put together an updated list of no-cost holiday meals available in our communities to ensure everyone can enjoy a warm meal this season. 

Please feel free to share widely. If you know of other organizations offering free holiday meals, let us know in the comments so we can help spread the word.

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy holiday season!

Holiday Meals 2024

Please see list of organizations offering free holiday meals this year below:

The CPKC Holiday Train is returning to Merrickville on Friday, November 28, 2025, to celebrate its 27th season of visiting communities across the CPKC network and helping those in need. 

Thanks to the generous support of great communities like yours, the Holiday Train has raised over $26.1 million and over 5.45 million pounds of food since 1999 to help people struggling with food insecurity. With your help, we can continue to raise food, money and awareness for people facing hunger issues across North America.  

The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) Holiday Train never disappoints, and this year was no exception! The train rolled into Merrickville at 4:45pm on November 28th, to the approximately 2,500 people waiting in anticipation!

The 2024 stop brought in approximately 1,100 pounds of food and $2,700.00 in monetary donations, gratefully collected thanks to the generosity of all those who attended, and of course, CPKC’s very gracious cheque presentation of $4,000.00. 

Save The Date – CPKC Holiday Train is coming through the Village!

The CPKC Holiday Train is returning to Merrickville on Thursday, November 28, 2024, to celebrate its 26th season of visiting communities across the CPKC network and helping those in need.

Rideau Community Health Service’s first Identification Clinic, held on February 14, 2024, was an overwhelming success, thanks to the support from our partners including Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Addictions and Mental Health, Service Canada, Service Ontario, and Canada Revenue Agency.

November is Diabetes Awareness Month!

Did you know that 1 in 3 Canadians has diabetes? Let's stand together in the battle against diabetes by proudly wearing blue! The blue circle is the global symbol of diabetes awareness. It signifies the importance of raising awareness about diabetes, reducing its stigma, and promoting access to diabetes care and treatment for all.

The Food Cupboard Program, a part of the Health Promotion programming in Merrickville at Rideau Community Health Services is excited to be welcoming the CP Holiday Train back to the village on Monday, November 27th, 2023 at 4:45 PM.  This is the 25th year the Holiday Train has been supporting food banks and food shelves across our network by raising money, food and awareness for food insecurity issues. Since its inception in 1999, the CP Holiday Train has raised more than $22.5 million and more than 5 million pounds of food for community food banks across North America.

Rideau Community Health Services is a Community Health Centre in the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville region that provides primary care for rostered clients. Primary care is provided by both nurse practitioners (NPs) and physicians who work in a collaborative team environment. Like physicians, our nurse practitioners diagnose, order tests, consult with specialists, and provide ongoing and coordinated care to their clients. Our nurse practitioners help us to deliver comprehensive, accessible, and person-centered care to people of all ages and stages of life.

Rideau Community Health Services extends a heartfelt thank you to the Chief Fire Officer’s Association of Leeds and Grenville, as well as all local area fire departments for their support during the first Annual Fire Department Food Drive.

The Fire Department Food Drive was an overwhelming success! In its first year, this initiative resulted in over 4,000 pounds of food being collected, and $8,500 raised in donations to be shared amongst 13 food banks in Leeds & Grenville to support the increased need in our communities.