For the fifth straight year, the CPR Holiday Train will be making a stop in Cambridge for the holidays.

The yearly event has become a major tourist destination in Cambridge during the holiday festivities. In 2008, the attraction drew in over 2,000 to 3,000 people to the old Galt Railway station, which is located right across the Galt Collegiate Institute.

Mind you, this isn’t just some ordinary train. Each year, the train is adorned from its front to end, or cowcatcher to caboose, with plenty of Christmas lights as it travels across North America, makings stops at over 70 different communities.

Ever seen that Coca-Cola ad with the colorful Christmas-lighted Mack truck? Well, the train looks a lot like that.

Cambridge’s recreational co-coordinator Wanda Schaefer-Stilling expects a good turnout for this year’s Yuletide train stop. With the good weather conditions projected during the event, she expects multitudes of people to pay the decorated a visit.

The train’s journey is for a cause, as during each stop, it routinely collects food donations that go to food banks across the country. Tourists and locals who want to attend the event are requested to make donations by bringing non-perishable food items that are to be given to the Cambridge Self-Help Food Bank. One of the more important goals of this celebration is to provide a memorable Christmas to the less fortunate.

Don’t forget to mark your calendars and bring a food item along with you to make this Christmas a one to remember!

Police authorities are still searching the Silverheights Park area, hoping to find evidence that would help them pin down the man responsible for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl on Wednesday.

The victim recounts being alone at the Hespeler Park at around noon when she was approached by a man around 30 to 40 years old. The attacker suddenly grabbed her, forcibly brought her to some bushes, and then sexually assaulted her. The teen was able to get back to her home after the encounter, where she dialed for the police. She was immediately brought to the Cambridge Memorial Hospital for treatment of her minor wounds and injuries.

Police authorities are now requesting for the public to be on the lookout for suspicious individuals in the area. The suspect is reported to be a white male, around 30 to 40 years of age, about six feet in height, medium body build and black, shaggy hair. During the assault, the man was wearing jeans and a black sweater.

Olaf Heinzel, public affairs coordinator for Waterloo Regional Police said that authorities are asking for locals to be wary of individuals matching this description.

“We would ask people to be extra careful,” Heinzel said in a statement.

For any information regarding the incident or the suspect, please contact the major case unit at 519-650-8500, ext. 8674 or Crime Stoppers 1-800-222-TIPS.

In what looks to be some good news with great timing (with the upcoming holidays and all), representatives from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation recently issued a statement with a forecast of better times to come for Cambridge, Kitchener, Waterloo and Guelph.

According to CMHC top analyst Erica McLerie, an increase in housing demand for Kitchener next year is not unlikely, largely thanks to an improved economy.

CMHC’s forecast was shared to the public during a conference in Kitchener, with some 200 real estate and housing professionals in attendance.

CMHC’s regional economist for Ontario, Ted Tsiakopoulos, spoke at the conference, telling those in attendance that the province is slowly getting back on its feet after the recession. However, he indicates that progress will be slow.

According to Tsiakopoulos, Ontario’s consumers are in far better shape then their counterparts in the United States. Despite the high number of job losses, he expects domestic sales to make a rebound and continue to grow faster than exports.

The holidays are an especially crucial time, with Ontarian consumer spending for this season closely monitored as a sign of the economic climate for the early months of 2010. On the bright side, retailers and shopping districts are expected to slash down item prices, encouraging people to make purchase and the like.

Largely due to the global economic crisis, the Cambridge Memorial Hospital has been forced to take drastic measures to cut costs. Closing beds, relieving staff, reducing sick time, and moving some services to community branches are just some of the paths the hospital has taken, all to make $11 million in cuts.

And while Cambridge Memorial has already made savings of close to $3 million, the hospital is still expected to end the year with a deficit of up to $2.5-million. 2010 looks to be an even tougher year for the institution, as some figures indicate that the hospital needs to shell out $4.5 million in increased costs, like operating expenses and staff salaries. Furthermore, close $3 million dollars are estimated to be spent on hospital purchases like new medical technologies and services.

To cope with the hospital’s financial difficulties, new government-appointed Cambridge Memorial supervisor Murray Martin issued a statement on the hospital’s contingency plans for next year, outlining a financial scheme that includes reduction of staff, and streamlining of hospital services.

While Murray expects the plan to draw plenty of flak and criticism, he believes that these measures have to be taken to save all of Cambridge Memorial from closing down.

For the holiday season, Volunteers from the Fire Hall Museum and Education Centre have taken “Christmas decorating” to a whole new level, transforming the Old Galt Fire Station’s hall into a venue worthy of its Tinsel and Toys exhibition.

Among the sights and sounds one can expect on a visit to the historical venue are red lights and wailing sirens (keeping in line with the firehouse theme of course), fancy Christmas decorations, a specially decorated Bickle Seagrave fire truck from 1938, and last but not least, a special display of antique and more modern fire trucks and collectibles.

Furthermore, the museum offers some recent attractions, like a shiny 1951 International fire truck, and lifelike figures created by graphics students from SkillsCanada. The museum also comes with a newly expanded gift shop, perfect for tourists and other passers-by. The small shop contains interesting finds such as model fire trucks and other public vehicles, shirts and caps, books, and other fire service collectibles.

The biggest attraction no doubt, is the fascinating large-scale toy train set, dating back to the 1930’s. Since its display in 2007, the train set has drawn in plenty of city folk and tourists alike.

How to get in you might ask? All it takes is a food donation for the Cambridge Firefighters Basket Fund, which gives the less fortunate a reason to celebrate the holidays every year.

So, what’re you waiting for? Make your holidays extra-special for your family and kids and pay a visit to the Fire Museum and Education Centre!

Cambridge began as a composite city in 1973.  As Cambridge has developed and the open spaces between the original municipalities have been filled in a fourth commercial core, entirely modern in its construction has emerged.

Cambridge is home to many cultural events and activities, including the Mill Race Festival and Rock the Mill music festivals in downtown Galt. Cambridge also has the Cambridge Highland Games in Churchill Park in July. There’s also the Wings of Paradise butterfly conservatory, the annual dragon boat festival, the Cambridge fall fair which has been entertaining locals and visitors alike for over 100 years, and the Southworks Outlets district.