The Polar
Express was
a good movie, but nothing beats the real thing.
For the last five years, Samson has traversed Duncan’s captivating forest at the BC Forest Discovery Centre
in the museum’s annual fundraiser. Families come from all over Vancouver Island to ride the 1910 steam
locomotive through a world transformed by Christmas.
Vicki Holman, manager of the BC Forest Discovery Centre, says the Christmas Express is her favourite time of
year and there are more than 30 light displays.
“We decorate not only the trees in the forest but also our historical buildings, artifacts and service
buildings,” she says. “Some displays include automated characters, others have lights and wooden cutouts, and
some are outlines of buildings and artifacts. The train travels through one area that we call the candy cane
forest, where red and white lights travel up the trunks of mature Douglas fir trees giving the impression of
giant candy canes in the forest.”
And the train itself is like a sensational Christmas tree on wheels, except it’s ornamented by up to 85
adults and children enraptured by an enchanting holiday evening.
“Passengers have been known to break out into spontaneous Christmas caroling,” Holman says, warmly calling it
“a perfect example of Christmas cheer.”
But don’t make the trip just for the Christmas Express: There’s live entertainment where children can sing
along, photos with Santa, hot chocolate and snacks, and crafts in a 1905 schoolhouse.
Nostalgia, photo-ops, education and the Christmas spirit — check out Duncan this December, and you’ll be
reminded why Christmas lights are the centrepiece to the magic of the season. Just remember to bring a
blanket! •
The BC Forest Discovery Centre is a 100-acre, open-air museum of logging forestry history. It hosts
community events throughout the year and, as a non-profit museum, the Christmas Express is its annual
fundraiser.
03 Forest Discovery Centre’s
Christmas Express, Dec 3-5, 10-12, 17-23, 26-30, Duncan, bcforestmuseum.com
