WPCA Driver Carries on Family Tradition with Sleigh And Wagon Rides In Edmonton

For World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver Doug Irvine, the holiday season isn’t just about racing memories or winter downtime, it’s about horses, family, and carrying on a tradition that goes back years.

Doug is now taking the reins of the popular horse-drawn wagon rides at Candy Cane Lane, a beloved Edmonton Christmas tradition that has brought families together for generations. “It actually started with my dad, Morris,” Irvine explains. “He’s had the contract with the sleigh ride team for six or seven years. I helped out last year, and now I’m slowly taking it over.”

Horses have always been part of Doug’s life. He’s worked with draft horses since he was 12 years old, and the sleigh rides became less about work and more about time together. “It was really just a chance to spend time with my dad and do something meaningful,” he says. “He really enjoys it, being around the horses, being around people.”

Some of Doug’s strongest memories go back to Christmas Eve, long before the event was formally organized. “We used to start sleigh rides around six in the evening and go until midnight,” he recalls. “There’d be a bonfire, people would just show up. It wasn’t organized, everyone just came. That’s what Christmas felt like.”

Today, that same sense of warmth is still there. As families climb aboard the sleigh, Doug watches reactions closely. “You hear a lot of interesting stories,” he says. “Some people are grandparents reliving memories, others have never seen a horse before. They’re amazed by the smell, the sounds, the feeling of it all.”

He says the atmosphere is contagious. “When you come to events like this, everyone’s in good spirits. It’s such a positive environment, it really lifts you up.”

For Doug, staying connected to the community is just as important as competition on the track. “It’s huge,” he says. “These are the people who support our sport. We actually get more time to talk with them here than we do during racing season.” He adds that moments like these offer perspective.“It takes your focus off everything else going on in life.”

The continued popularity of sleigh rides, even in the heart of winter, speaks to something deeper. “It shows there’s still a real love for horses and our heritage,” Doug says. “People will line up for blocks just to be part of it.”

Doug uses a team of Percheron horses, a breed he’s trusted since buying his first one at 18. “She was so good that I stuck with the breed,” he says. “They’re honest, easy to work with, and perfect for this.” Two horses pull the wagon through the glowing streets of Candy Cane Lane, where nearly every house is lit up for the season. Some of the most meaningful moments come when the wagon stops.

“Seeing the joy on the kids’ faces is what sticks with you,” Doug says. “They run to the front, get to pet the horses, that look on their face says everything.”

Later this month, Doug will be heading to Mexico, and during that time, fellow WPCA driver Layne MacGillivray will step in to take over the sleigh rides. The handoff is more than logistical, it’s personal.

“Layne’s dad, Dennis, is a former wagon driver,” Doug explains. “He used to drive pony wagons down in Fort Worth, and I’d go down and join Layne and his dad. So having Layne step in for me now really brings back memories.”

The holidays have carried extra meaning for Doug in recent years. “It’s been a tough couple of years,” he shares. “My mom was big on Christmas and family get-togethers. So taking the time now, answering calls, having coffee with people, it means a lot.”

Even during the off-season, life around the barn doesn’t slow down. Doug recently added seven new horses to his operation and currently works with a total of 32 Thoroughbreds, along with retired racehorses, work teams, and saddle horses that bring the total number of horses at home to 51.

As winter turns toward spring, the racing season is already on the horizon. “Spring training usually starts around mid-March or April, weather-dependent,” he says. “We’ll start breaking some new horses, maybe do a few more sleigh rides if the weather’s nice. I don’t love driving with cold hands.”

For now, though, Doug is right where he wants to be, wrapped in lights, laughter, and the steady rhythm of horses’ hooves.

“It’s about people, horses, and tradition,” he says. “That’s what this time of year is all about.”

**Visitors to Candy Cane Lane are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food donation for the Edmonton Food Bank, with green donation bins located along the entire route for convenience.

Since 1993, more than 618,000 kilograms of food have been donated along Candy Cane Lane in support of Edmonton’s Food Bank. On average, approximately 20,000 kilograms of food are collected each year from those taking in the festive residential displays, making Candy Cane Lane one of the Food Bank’s most critical annual donation events and a cherished holiday tradition for many Edmontonians.

BRYAN HEBSON

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