The warm weather meant Tim Gordon finally got some help putting up his bevy of Christmas lights this year.
“Now that it’s warmer, she comes out,” said Gordon, who along with Kelcy McDonald had the winning house in the 2017 Light Up the Town Christmas lights decorating contest.
Stewart Burnett/NNSL photo
“Before it would be -35, I’d be out.”
The pair have been putting lights on their Raven Road house for the past 17 years, since moving in.
“We change it up a little bit,” said McDonald. “There was a year that we did a gingerbread house out there with a huge appliance box that we decorated all up. We used to have other inflatables, other types of lights. Every year we add a little bit to it but also lose some lights as well.”
They even put up the lights when they’re out of town for the holidays.
“We do it more so for other people, because (they) seem to really enjoy it,” said McDonald. “People start asking us in November when we’re going to be putting them up.”
They’ve placed in the top three for the town’s annual contest several times over the past 17 years.
Gordon said they don’t do it to win the prize money, but it is nice to cover the electric bill. But those bills, which in the past might hit $300, have gone down since switching to LED lights.
“Once they’re up, it almost feels like Christmas,” said Gordon. “Without them up, it would be kind of blah I think.”
Coun. Alana Mero took the lead on judging this year.
“It was an epic journey around town,” she said about her tour with the mayor and student councillor.
McDonald and Gordon’s house was the clear winner, while a handful of others were put into a hat and drawn for second and third.
Stan Pidborochynski came in second and Kent Pike in third.
Honourable mentions went to Pam and Brian McDonald; Roberta Cardinal and Floyd Gordon; Deb and Darren Karst; Brendan Buckle; and Conrad and Juanita Bourque.