This year’s 'Light It Up Innisfil' Christmas Decorating competition had 101 entries – raising, with its $10 entry fees and generous donations from the community, just over $1,700 for the Innisfil Food Bank and Innisfil’s Christmas for Kids (C4Kids year round).
The numbers were down slightly from last year, the inaugural year of the competition, said contest founder Jennifer Richardson.
It might have been the return to a more normal Christmas season routines, until the recent spike in cases related to the omicron variant; weariness after two years of pandemic strain; or financial challenges due to rising prices, that resulted in the lower numbers.
“Everything that’s going on – it’s so disheartening,” Richardson said. Even so, she noted, “At least we can do something like this!”
There was no reduction in the quality of the entries, or in the delight that the displays inspired. Driving around to view Christmas lights is a long-standing tradition, made even more fun by the opportunity to vote online for four of the awards – Best Lights, Best Inflatables, Most Creative, and Fan Favourite.
For the rest, winners were selected by MP John Brassard, MPP Andrea Khanjin, Mayor Lynn Dollin, and Dave Chalut of Domino’s Pizza, presenting a new Domino’s Award.
Town councillors were also asked to pick their favourite decorated home in their own ward, among those entered in the contest.
Ward 2 Councillor Bill Van Berkel chose the home at 1044 Ferrier Avenue, in Lefroy.
“The way I picked it, is one night I took my first granddaughter, the second night I took my second granddaughter, the third night I took my wife,” Van Berkel said. He confessed that the top three picks were so close, he eventually had to pull the winner from a hat.
“I love this,” Van Berkel said as he presented a prize, donated by community sponsors, to the winning homeowners on Sunday. And, he said, he loved the competition. “They had the whole town lit up.”
Other councillors also had help in judging from ‘experts’ - their children.
Ward 7 Councillor Rob Nicol took 11-year-old son Wyatt along, as he made the rounds.
Wyatt created his own scorecard. His description of the Ward 7 winner, at 2284 Cairns Gate was compelling: “Big light bulbs on tree. Rainbow Christmas lights on roof and garage. Three big Santas. Two cats and one unicorn and dog. Arrow pointing to North Pole!”
The winners, in order of presentation on Sunday, were:
. Ward 2 – 1044 Ferrier Ave., Lefroy
. MP John Brassard’s Choice - 1337 Lormel Gate, Lefroy.
. Rotary Club of Innisfil winner – 1991 Inglewood Drive, Alcona
. MPP Andrea Khanjin’s Choice – 982 Linden Street, Alcona
. Mayor Lynn Dollin’s Choice – 981 Linden Street, Alcona
. Ward 3 – 1148 Westmount Street, Alcona. “It just looks magical,” said Coun. Donna Orsatti.
. Fan Favourite – 2142 Galloway Street, Alcona. Despite wind damage from recent storms, this highly visible display of inflatables just off Innisfil Beach Road captured the spirit of Christmas for many voters.
. Ward 7 – 2284 Cairns Gate, Churchill.
. Best Lights – 2834 Shering Crescent, Stroud.
. Ward 1 – 210 Sunset Crescent, Stroud.
. Ward 6 – 93 Hawthorne Drive, Sandycove.
. Best Inflatables – 3108 Poplar Road, Sandycove.
. Ward 5 – 734 James Street, Alcona
. Domino’s Pizza Award – 2434 Sideroad 25, Alcona
. Most Creative – 2222 Sideroad 25, Alcona
. Ward 4 – 2192 Mildred Avenue, Alcona
“Thank you for bringing so much joy,” said Coun. Orsatti, as she delivered her own prizes of “Ugly Sweater” sugar cookies to the winners in her ward.
She thanked the homeowners who participated, and the Richardsons, for organizing the contest for a second year.
It was a sentiment echoed by homeowners.
“We had to do something. We feel so sorry for the kids,” especially those whose Christmas plans are being disrupted once again by COVID," said the couple at 2192 Mildred, whose whimsical display of an almost life-sized sleigh and reindeer, several Santas, Yoda, and giant swans with pink wings stopped traffic. “You have to give.”
The Bajno family on Shering Crescent have been decorating their home with an array of lights for the past decade – long before the contest began. In fact, they had the first computerized display in Innisfil, and invite residents to tune in to 98.1 FM, for the musical accompaniment to the display of synchronized flashing lights.
“We’ve just been upgrading as we go,” said Mr. Bajno. There are now 30,000 lights, “and we control every single bulb.”
He is already looking forward to next year. “I have so many more lights in the garage we haven’t put up!”
