Alberta-based Ernie Beskowiney has transformed his barley field into a mini train station offering rides to raise money for the children’s hospital.

Beskowiney turned his longtime dream into reality by using miniature trains to raise funds for sick children. His idea began 18 years ago when his family faced a difficult time after learning his unborn grandson might be born with severe health challenges. Ernie dreamed of building a railroad track, giving rides, and using it to raise money for the Children’s Hospital, and now he is making it happen.

It took Ernie Beskowiney two weeks to share his dream with his wife, who encouraged him and said it was very possible. By 2015, he began turning his barley field near Sylvan Lake into a miniature rail yard called Train Acres. With help from a neighbour’s tractor and a lot of work using his own Bobcat, Ernie built a 200-foot tunnel with two tracks and laid out more than 12,000 feet of railway, stretching two miles, for his small trains to run on.

Last weekend, Train Acres Miniature Railway hosted a fundraiser, inviting visitors to enjoy a 30-minute train ride through tunnels, around lakes, and over bridges for $10. Ernie Beskowiney offered four trains, each able to carry about 90 passengers per trip. All the money raised through the fundraiser will support the Stollery Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Source: Adrienne Lee, CTV News