Latest news with #BrightNights
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Stanley park Christmas train cancelled after 26 years, burn fund faces $500K crisis
The BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund faces a significant challenge as the Stanley Park Christmas Train will remain out of service in 2025 due to costly repairs, impacting their annual Bright Nights fundraiser. This event, a crucial source of funding for burn survivor support, will be absent for the first time in 26 years. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads For the first time in 26 years, the BC Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund will not be operating its annual fundraising event alongside the Bright Nights Christmas Train in Stanley Vancouver Park Board announced Tuesday(July 8) that the Stanley Park train will remain out of service for the rest of 2025 due to extensive and costly mechanical repairs. The decision leaves the Burn Fund, which has relied on the event for a significant portion of its annual fundraising, without one of its most visible and successful Bright Nights fundraiser has long supported burn survivors across British Columbia, helping fund medical equipment, housing, and children's burn camps.'This is the first year that it won't operate with the train in Stanley Park,' said Jeff Sauvé, Executive Director of the Burn Fund. 'But now it's about pivoting and finding a solution.'The holiday train ride , part of the Bright Nights in Stanley Park attraction, has traditionally featured festive lights, family-friendly displays, and thousands of volunteer hours from local firefighters. Each year, about 800 firefighters spend nearly a month setting up the lights and decorations around the miniature train its height, the fundraiser brought in close to $500,000, with the Burn Fund receiving both donations and a portion of the ticket sales. Last year, however, the event only generated around $200,000, after the train service was halted mid-season due to an engineer falling ill from exhaust confirmed the Burn Fund had concerns earlier this year that the train might not operate, but the official news came Tuesday along with the public announcement. 'At this point, there hasn't been any discussion of what the future of the train will look like,' he the Burn Fund says the loss of the train is a significant hit, Sauvé remains optimistic. 'We are sure one of our partners will step up,' he said. The organization is now exploring alternative fundraising options to support its work in the absence of the train.
CBC
08-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Stanley Park Train will be off the rails for 2025
Social Sharing It'll be another year off the rails for the popular Stanley Park Train ride, with park board staff citing safety concerns and the hefty costs of running the attraction. The train saw over 90,000 visitors in 2024 before it was derailed indefinitely on Dec. 13, after one of the train's drivers needed medical attention, having fallen ill due to exhaust from one of the train's locomotives. Now, staff say it won't be running in 2025, either. In its various iterations — such as the Halloween-themed Ghost Train and the Christmas event Bright Nights in the Park — the train has been a popular draw for families. Around 23,000 tickets were snapped up within 90 minutes of sale for the Bright Nights event in 2023, the first following a two-year hiatus. But on Monday, Vancouver Park Board staff revealed the future of the train is in jeopardy as the attraction has lost them hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. "Taken together, there are a host of risks associated with the Stanley Park Train right now," said John Brodie, the director of business services for the park board. He said those risks include the safety of operators, the financial burden and the reputational damage to the park board, given the regular closures of the train. The official said staff estimated the train would lose the park board $700,000 this year, and it had lost nearly $3 million in the last five years. WATCH | Future of Stanley Park Train uncertain: Stanley Park Train will be derailed for the rest of 2025 9 hours ago Duration 1:13 There are more questions about the future of the Stanley Park Train. As Amelia John reports, park board staff revealed Monday the popular Vancouver attraction will remain out of service for the rest of the year. Park board staff said they had received a series of third-party proposals, regarding sponsoring or donating to the train, which could change the ride's appeal to be more centred around tourists. "There's a lot of interest from external partners to reimagine the Stanley Park Train site," Brodie said. "It's in a prime location in one of the premier parks in the world." Staff said that maintaining the existing model — of the park board operating and maintaining the train — would provide the lowest financial upside of all the business models that they assessed. However, much remains up in the air about the future of the train. Park board staff are expected to report back to the board in 2026 on its options regarding third-party investment and ticket prices after consulting with the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. Long list of closures The Stanley Park Train ride has taken a winding track to its latest yearlong closure. It was first cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing restrictions being implemented. Then, in 2021, a rash of coyote attacks in Stanley Park prompted the train's cancellation in October due to safety concerns, but it ran later in December. In 2022, the attraction was called off after the train failed a safety inspection, with the city saying that mechanical issues were affecting the antique engines and passenger cars, and supply chain issues meant new parts were difficult to procure. Steve Jackson, general manager of the city's park board, said in March that the park board's best option to keep the attraction viable would be to electrify. "Our assets are old; our attempts to repair, modify, have proven to not be successful, and so we'll have to explore these longer-term decisions with our board," he said at the time. The park board says the combustion engines on the locomotives are more than 50 years old. Park board staff estimate it would cost at least $7.7 million to electrify the train and maintain the status quo. Jackson had said that the biggest problem with the set of four locomotives used last year was that the gauge of the track is narrower than modern track gauges. "The manufacturer that produced these engines actually does produce an electric locomotive. It's on a 24-inch gauge," he said in March. "We are running a 20-inch gauge. "So in order to use their assets, we would actually have to wholesale replace the entire asset here, track and engines."
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Wichita Falls residents optimistic about central area revival
WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — Neighbors are elated to hear of the potential revitalization of central Wichita Falls. 'Sometimes this neighborhood can feel almost like a forgotten area of town,' Central Wichita Falls neighbor Jennifer Dunn said. From Seymour Highway to Kell West Blvd. And Kemp Blvd. to Brook Ave lays history. 'Lot of history, a lot of traditions in this neighborhood, and I want to see it thrive,' Dunn said. The Central Wichita Falls Neighborhood Revitalization Committee is ready to rejuvenate the area with its 'Heart of the Falls Revitalization' plan. 'We want to preserve and revitalize, not gentrify,' chair Mike Mitchell told Wichita Falls City Councilors. 'We don't want to push the people that are in this neighborhood out. We just want them to kind of create that culture and start taking a little more pride in the neighborhood.' The committee developed its plan based on community feedback. Priorities include a tree clearing program, a Bright Nights, Safe Streets initiative, and enhancing existing infrastructure, just like neighbors have seen at Bridwell Park. 'I love the idea of some neighborhood pride that people,' Dunn said. Dunn is also a lifelong member of Lamar Baptist Church. She said seeing the city take initiative to restore the historic neighborhood has her excited for the future. 'We've had schools close in this area. We've had churches close in this area. Statistics show that when either of those things leave the neighborhood, the neighborhood will then go downhill,' Dunn said. 'I'm grateful to see the city taking an interest and helping to countermeasure those things and help lift up this neighborhood.' But it won't happen overnight. Dunn encourages neighbors to support the process. 'This would improve the quality of life for everyone in the neighborhood,' Dunn said. 'It's not the worst of the worst. It's not the best of the best. It can kind of feel forgotten. That makes my heart sad. I'm excited to see some effort going into revitalizing it.' Committee members and city councilors are aiming to remember the neighborhood Dunn feels is forgotten. Committee members are set to meet to discuss further action. They believe they will present the city council with recommendations at the upcoming meetings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
Denver's Four Mile Historic Park hosts traditional family egg hunt
Denver's Four Mile Historic Park will be bringing the community together for a traditional Easter Egg Hunt and family celebration. Each session with start out with a magic show. Then, there will be three separate egg hunts divided by age group; 3-years and younger, 4-year-olds to 6-year-olds, and 7-years and older. The session rounds out with a performance by the Animal Farm Band. In addition to the fund for kids, there are food trucks, a coffee cart, and a artisan market. "In addition to it being an historic site and just being a gem in Denver, we're also part of Denver Parks and Rec, and just being part of the parks community, we feel like it's really our duty to put on some exciting community events," said Morgan Gengenbach, Director of Operations at Four Mile Historic Park. Four Mile Historic Park is a throw back to Denver's Western heritage. The 12-acre park is a working farm and houses Denver's oldest standing structure, the Four Mile House Museum. Stepping onto the property is like stepping back in time to the mid to late 1800's when the first settlers will moving into the area. The park is open for guided tours, field trips, and outreach programs. "When people can come and have a really exciting experience at an historic farm right in the middle of the city," Gengenbach explained. Four Mile Historic Park also hosts a series of community events including the Family Egg Hunt, Bright Nights light display, and a Pumpkin Festival in the fall. In addition to all the fun activities at the Family Egg Hunt, the artisan market will open for a fun shopping experience. "You can go to the market and get some really wonderful hand made gifts. If the Easter Bunny needs some help, we have some Easter baskets that are premade and really beautiful. Plus food trucks, we have barbeque coming. We've got coffee for the parents and family members that need a little pick-me-up in the morning," Gengenbach added. LINK: For Tickets & Information for Four Mile Historic Park Family Egg Hunt Four Mile Historic Park's Family Egg Hunt is Saturday, April 19th, 2025. There are two sessions one at 8:30 a.m. and one at 1:30 p.m.
CBC
17-03-2025
- General
- CBC
Stanley Park Train to remain off the rails for Easter and spring
The popular Stanley Park Train ride will remain off the rails through the Easter and spring seasons in Vancouver's biggest park, as officials say the long-term future of the attraction is up in the air. A well-liked attraction, the train has seen very high demand in the past, after it returned in 2023 following a two-year hiatus. Around 23,000 tickets were snapped up within 90 minutes of sale for the Bright Nights event that year. However, on Dec. 13 last year, the attraction was derailed indefinitely after one of the train's drivers needed medical attention, having fallen ill due to exhaust from one of the train's locomotives. A park board official says that emission levels on the train were still higher than they wanted them to be after staff made modifications to the aging locomotives over the last two months. "The hope there was that [modifications] would reduce emissions exposure to our staff as well as the public," said Steve Jackson, general manager of the city's park board. "Unfortunately, due to our most recent testing, it isn't showing that that modification was successful." The park board says that the combustion engines on the locomotives are more than 50 years old, and the latest closure puts the long-term viability of the attraction into question. "Our best course of action in operating a train on this site would be to electrify," Jackson said. "Our assets are old; our attempts to repair, modify, have proven to not be successful, and so we'll have to explore these longer-term decisions with our board." Park board staff is expected to report back to the elected board in June after a comprehensive analysis of the paths forward. $3M lost over five years The Stanley Park train ride has taken a winding track to its latest indefinite closure after the December shutdown due to staff illness. It was first cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and physical distancing restrictions being implemented. Then, in 2021, a rash of coyote attacks in Stanley Park prompted the train's cancellation in October due to safety concerns, but it ran later in December. In 2022, the attraction was called off after the train failed a safety inspection, with the city saying that mechanical issues were affecting the antique engines and passenger cars, and supply chain issues meant new parts were difficult to procure. "Over the last five years, we've lost approximately $3 million trying to operate this train," Jackson said. "That does include one-time expenditures to repair the train." The official says that the biggest problem with the current set of four locomotives is that the gauge of the track is narrower than modern track gauges. "The manufacturer that produced these engines actually does produce an electric locomotive. It's on a 24-inch gauge," he said. "We are running a 20-inch gauge. "So in order to use their assets, we would actually have to wholesale replace the entire asset here, track and engines." Jackson said that staff would eventually look to the public to weigh in on the future of the ride, and praised the overwhelming response it had gotten in previous years.
