Ladysmith Light-Up 25th Anniversary Magazine

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Sponsors:

Support from the Province of BC

Warm Your Hands Warm Someone’s Heart

We need your support! Enjoy a delicious cup of Hot Chocolate by donation at our booth in front of our office at 528 First Ave. All proceeds go to our local NANAIMO HAVEN HOUSE. Please help us make this year the best ever! It’s our 8th year supporting the Royal LePage Shelter Foundation at Light Up.

528 First Ave.

Ladysmith Branch Helping You is What We Do 250-245-2252

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Ladysmith Chronicle

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Table of Contents 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Festival of Lights Message from the Mayor Memories from some of those who started the festival How does the angel get on top of the Christmas tree?

What starts when? Find out with our Light Up schedule Find out where you need to be with our Light Up map Ladysmith Fire/Rescue has been involved since day one

Publisher: Teresa McKinley

Kinsmen help in many ways

Editor: Lindsay Chung

Ladysmith & District Credit Union fills fireworks wish list Meet the man behind the fireworks Who makes the decorations for Light Up? Upcoming Christmas events in Ladysmith

publisher@ladysmithchronicle.com editor@ladysmithchronicle.com

Production: Doug Kent production@ladysmithchronicle.com

Advertising: Heather Andrews ads@ladysmithchronicle.com

940 Oyster Bay Drive P.O. Box 400, Ladysmith, B.C., V9G 1A3 Phone: 250-245-2277 Fax: 250-245-2230 The Chronicle does its best to ensure content accuracy. The Chronicle is not endorsing any product or business contained within.

Cover photo provided by Sean Sherstone

Produced by:

Sponsors:

Thank You The Ladysmith Festival of Lights members and directors would like to take this time to say thank you to all the dedicated volunteers.

Our 25 years of success would not have been possible without the continued support we have received from the 100’s of volunteers.

Also to the businesses and organizations who have continuously given their support we would like to acknowledge our sincere appreciation.

Support from the Province of BC

Spectacular fireworks presented by:

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Ladysmith Chronicle

Celebrating 25 years of Light Up It’s become a tradition for many people in Ladysmith and areas far beyond, and many local families have never missed one.

It’s the Festival of Lights, and this shimmering, awe-inspiring celebration of Christmas and community is marking its 25th anniversary this year with a some big surprises and a new major decoration planned for Light Up on Thu., Nov. 29.

The Festival of Lights Society was actually formed 26 years ago, but there was one year within the last six years when heavy snowfall cancelled Light Up, explained Cliff Fisher, president of the society.

“It started off with a few businesses setting up a few lights, and it kind of grew bumps at a time, slowly going up,” he said.

When the festival celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, Light Up will hold some special surprises to mark this exciting milestone.

“We’re going to have a bigger

and better fireworks, largely to the credit of the Ladysmith and District Credit Union,” said Fisher.

“There’s a surprise in that package.

We’re going to have a surprise on the main stage. We have a brandnew gift box with shooting stars on the roundabout.”

Fisher emphasizes the Festival of Lights wouldn’t be the grand event that it is without the support of many dedicated volunteers.

That includes the 160 people who signed up to help set up the

Congratulations to the volunteers and organizers of the 25th Annual Ladysmith Festival of Lights....

THANK YOU!

lights during a work party on a rainy early-November Sunday morning and the in-kind support from businesses who provide bucket trucks, cranes, ladders and volunteers to help put decorations on top of buildings and string lights on trees, on buildings and across the street.

“It’s about a $150,000 budget to put this one-day event on and keep it going, but if we had to actually pay for it, it would cost us three times that if we didn’t have the volunteers helping,” said Fisher.

Fisher has been in Ladysmith for eight years and been part of the Festival of Lights off and on.

“It always fills me with awe,” he said.

Fisher feels Light Up has developed into the event that marks the start of the Christmas season for many people.

“It’s been a tradition for a long time,” he said. “It seems to be the turn from fall to Christmas for most people. After the party’s over and the lights are on, people drive up in the pouring rain and people will drive up and down and take pictures … it just glistens.”

Fisher feels the Festival of Lights is really a win-win for everybody because it brings so many people to the community.

“There’s always a warm feeling when you come through Ladysmith because you’ve probably been here for Festival of Lights,” he said. “It’s part of the memory.

www.the49th.com

We would like to thank the Festival for making our Downtown such a beautiful Winter Wonderland over the past 25 Years!

LADYSMITH

7:30am - 9pm daily First Avenue North

250-245-3221

940 1st Ave., Ladysmith

250-245-1200

printers@the49th.com

Together With You, Making Good Things Happen.

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

A message from the mayor

Thanks to Ladysmith for 25 years of lighting up the holidays!

Twenty-Five Years – A Reason to Celebrate

Wow! What a 25 years it has been!

From humble beginnings in 1987, the Festival of Lights soon grew to become a key part of the cultural fabric of the Ladysmith community.

This annual Festival has helped instill a deep sense of community pride. It has helped create delightful memories of growing up in Ladysmith for not one, but now for two generations of children. It creates a wonderful “Welcome Home!” for the holiday season for those who have moved away. and it has been a reason for some to choose Ladysmith to become their new home.

The Festival has become a trademark, a brand for our community and has earned us the admiration and respect of our friends and neighbours. It draws thousands to our community for the holiday season and sets the stage for repeat visits throughout the year.

Thank you, Bill Fitzpatrick, Chuck Perrin, Lynne De Lucia and Gerald Gonske for your inspiration and vision 25 years ago.

Thank you to all those who have worked so tirelessly along the way to ensure the Festival of Lights is the best it can be. It is one of the reasons Ladysmith is a wonderful place to call home.

Enjoy!

Jean Crowder

Member of Parliament for Nanaimo-Cowichan

Duncan: 126 Ingram St. Call Toll Free: 1-866-609-9998

Nanaimo: 77 Victoria Cres.

jean@jeancrowder.ca

Lawyers & Notaries • Divorce & Family Law • Criminal Law • Civil Litigation

• Corporate & Commercial • Wills & Estates • Wrongful Dismissal

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Ronald E. Peters Debby A. Baker, Paralegal Stephen T. Littley

410A First Ave Ladysmith

250-753-5372 Fax 250-753-5368

Mayor Rob Hutchins

LADYSMITH FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS 25TH ANNIVERSARY Who would have thought, 25 years ago, that a modest dream to decorate each building on Ladysmith’s main street with its own single colour of light to create the image of a multi-coloured necklace for the Christmas season would grow into the wonderful celebration now enjoyed by thousands of citizens and visitors?

Council extends heartfelt thanks and congratulations to the founding organizers and visionaries, as well as to each and every one of the hundreds of Festival of Lights volunteers who have followed.

Their spirit, commitment and sheer hard work have created a source of deep community pride.

Congratulations, Ladysmith Festival of Lights – we look forward to the next 25 years and beyond.

Town of Ladysmith

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Ladysmith Chronicle

Ladysmith’s

A Night to Sparkle!

1st A nnual R esidential Light-Up Contest!

Are you the best lit home in all of Ladysmith?

1st Prize - $100 Pharmasave Gift Card 2nd Prize - $75 Pharmasave Gift Card 3rd Prize - $50 Pharmasave Gift Card Register your house for the Christmas Lights Contest Name: Address:

Postal Code: Phone: Bring your completed registration form to Ladysmith Pharmasave at 441 First Avenue.

Deadline extended to Thurs, November 29, 2012 by 8 pm.

Check out www.ladysmithpharmasave.com/events/ christmas-light-contest-deadline for the list of homes to vote on and contest rules

Participants

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The Festival of Lights started as an idea to dress up Ladysmith’s downtown core at Christmas, and through the hard work, dedication and creativity of so many people, it has turned into an event that has put Ladysmith on the map and has brought families, neighbours and friends together for 25 years.

Bill Fitzpatrick initiated the Festival of Lights in 1987. Fitzpatrick had been chairperson of the town’s downtown revitalization committee, and the first phase of the revitalization had been completed, he recalled.

“There weren’t any festivals or lively activities in the heart of town,” he said. “I’m a Christmas person. I looked at the decorations in the town, and it was pitiful. I thought we’ve got to do something about that.”

Fitzpatrick recalls about 500 or 600 people attended the first Light Up in 1987. In 1988, they started the Festival of Lights Society with Fitzpatrick as president and David Walker, Joanne Dashwood, Joan Adair, Loran Spanakis, Myfanwy Plecas, Nancy Lorentz, Lynne Declark, Linda and Bob Beattie, Debbie Ostle and Jan O’Neill, recalled Fitzpatrick.

“They were just a fantastic crew, hard-working,” he said. “They dipped into their pockets, I dipped into my pockets so we could show the business community this could be done, and it’s been extremely successful ever since.”

Fitzpatrick was good friends with Chuck Perrin, who has passed away and for whom the Christmas tree at Aggie Hall was named. He recalls that Perrin gave one of the biggest donations and helped fund the fireworks without hesitation.

Fitzpatrick recalls that the Old Age Pensioners were very involved in the beginning, and they would hold “seniors screwing parties” to unscrew and replace light bulbs.

Nita Grant made the very first Santa Claus suit.

“I had wall-to-wall red velvet draperies in my bedroom, and of course there wasn’t any money for a suit,” he laughed. “Down came the draperies, and I gave them to Nita Grant, and she made the suit and donated the beard, and I wore it.”

Myfanwy Plecas is an original Festival of Lights Society member.

“It was a very positive event,” she said. “It was family.”

Plecas came up with the idea of the spaghetti dinner as a fundraiser for the festival.

“People grew lots of tomatoes, and we put adds in the Chronicle for free tomatoes, and my friends and I made the sauce,” she said.

So many people, businesses, clubs and organizations have played a role in the success of Festival of Lights throughout its history.

“We started something 25 years ago, and I could see after a few years that this was a perfect success,” said Fitzpatrick.

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In the beginning

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Putting the angel on the tree

It is going to be a bright affair at the Ladysmith’s Festival of Lights.

And at the centre of it all is the angel that sits atop the Chuck Perrin Christmas tree at Aggie Hall.

Many admire the angel, but getting it up there is a bit complicated.

For nearly 20 years, Bill Cottrell of Crane Force Ltd. has faithfully volunteered to put up the angel that completes the festival.

“Once I started, I just kept on doing it. I guess if I didn’t do it, how would they get it up there?” said Cottrell, who uses a crane to lift the angel. “It’s kind of the one thing I can do for the community … I think it’s important to do because [I] live here.”

Each year, thousands of people flock to Ladysmith to see the lights and the events that go on during the festival. It takes a lot of organization and volunteers to make the festival sparkle. Cottrell is modest about his contribution, but his dedication completes the Festival’s décor — what kind of Christmas tree doesn’t have an angel?

“I mean it is not a big deal, it’s just a couple hours and couple of times a year. I live here … so it’s kind of personal,” he said. “I think it’s great how it brings the community together. It’s a pretty big deal for the town. We get a lot of people that show up and almost double our population. Everyone’s got their thing — Chemainus has murals, and we have our lights.”

Cottrell is originally from the mainland. He moved to the Island to escape the crowds and has called Ladysmith home since 1993.

Warmly wishing you and your family a very Merry Christmas Let us help you find a home in a neighbourhood you’ll love!

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Ladysmith Chronicle

25th Annual Light-Up Celebration

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 29 Fun & Entertainment for the Entire Family!

3:00 pm

•Community Spaghetti Dinner

3:00 pm 3:00 pm 4-6:15 pm

•Christmas Craft Fair - Aggie Hall (north First Ave.)

6:30 pm 6:45 pm

•Santa Arrives Downtown to Light-Up Ladysmith!

•Kinsmen Parade - Along First Ave. to Aggie Hall

Eagles Hall - Adults $8; Children under 8 - $5

•Street Entertainment & Food Concessions •Entertainment on Stage Downtown Ladysmith and In-front of Aggie Hall

After the Parade, at Aggie Hall...

*Bob Stuart Park & Aggie Hall light up *Chuck Perrin Christmas Tree *Spectacular Fireworks presented by the

Proud Sponsors

We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia

First Avenue will be CLOSED TO TRAFFIC from 2:00pm until after Light Up. There will be shuttle buses from Transfer Beach and the Churches at the north end of 4th Ave.

WE ALSO ASK THAT PEOPLE PLEASE DO NOT BRING PETS DOWNTOWN FOR LIGHT UP (Ladysmith by-law 1554 Sect, 14(a). Thank You

For more info call 250-245-5888 or see www.ladysmithfol.com

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Parade participants will disperse along Rocky Creek Road, after they have crossed the hiway. NO PERSONS shall get off ANY floats BEFORE they have crossed the hiway and parked along Rocky Creek Rd.

Nanaimo

PARADE ROUTE

LADYSMITH HARBOUR

More visitor parking at Transfer Beach. Shuttle bus provided.

ISLAND ISLAND HIGHWAY HIGHWAY

There will be NO parking or off loading of parade entries between the Round-A-Bout & the Is. Hwy. All entries must go across the hiway to off load.

Chuck Perrin Memorial Tree

N

h

Eagles Eagles Hall Hall

Craft & Artisan Fair

P

Transfer Beach Park Victoria

Parade Line-up Facing North

XXXXXXXXXX

FIRST AVENUE

49TH Parallel Grocery

Ladysmith & District Ladysmith & District Credit Union Credit Union fireworks Aggie Hall Fireworks Display

City Hall

P

Spaghetti Spaghetti Dinner Dinner

Bob Stuart Park

P

Ladysmith & District Credit Union

SECOND AVENUE

Parking

Parking

ROBERTS ST.

HIGH STREET

BULLER ST.

FRENCH ST.

KITCHENER ST.

P

WARREN ST.

Cemetery

Parking is also available at St. Mary’s Catholic Church as well as the Bethel Tabernacle, both located on Fourth Ave. at the end of Strathcona St.

SYMONDS ST.

Strathco

na St.

THIRD AVENUE

h Handicap Parking is located at the Ladysmith Museum located at First Ave. & Buller St. You must be parked by 4pm

FOURTH AVENUE

First Avenue will be CLOSED to traffic from 2:00 pm until after Light-Up. There will be a shuttle bus from Transfer Beach & the churches at the north end of 4th Avenue. For info call 250-245-5888 or visit www.ladysmithfol.com WE ALSO ASK THAT PEOPLE PLEASE DO NOT BRING PETS DOWNTOWN FOR LIGHT UP (Ladysmith by-law 1554 Sect, 14(a). Thank You

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Ladysmith Chronicle

Presents

An Old Tyme

Christmas

Friday, Dec 7 5-8 pm • Candlelight walk down 1st Avenue, Symonds to Roberts St at 5 pm • Christmas carols, live nativity scene, crafts for kids, child minding, visit from Santa • Write a letter to Santa, create an ornament, or listen to a children’s story • Complimentary hot apple cider, chestnuts roasting on an open fire and much more Come downtown on this wonderful evening to share in the romance of a 1920’s Christmas!

For more information: www.ladysmithdowntown.com

Don’t forget to enter in the Grand Christmas Draws at participating merchants.

Over $1000 in prizes!

Ladysmith Fire/Rescue has always been involved Ladysmith Fire/Rescue has volunteered its services to the Festival of Lights longer than anyone in town can remember.

Anyone other than Fire Chief Ray Delcourt, that is.

Delcourt has been a member of Ladysmith’s fire department for 28 years, serving as its chief for the last 10 years.

Ladysmith’s firefighters and their families have assisted with festival preparations since year one, Delcourt said, mainly by setting up and inspecting lights on buildings downtown.

Department members use ground ladders and even ladder trucks to access Ladysmith’s loftiest lights, replacing burnt-out bulbs with LEDs and inspecting wiring connections to ensure that everything’s properly taped and sealed. A task that’s easier to complete now that BC Hydro is donating the use of its boom trucks, Delcourt added.

But climbing ladders and hoisting members to rooftop level isn’t all that demanding. Instead, Delcourt said their greatest challenge is co-ordinating with homeowners and building superintendents to ensure someone’s home to turn power on and off during the installation and testing of lights.

Ladysmith Fire/Rescue arranges fire safety for the festival’s fireworks show, too, helping to ensure the only fires burning in town are the fireworks themselves.

Delcourt said the department’s annual contribution to the Festival of Lights is simply one of the many ways Ladysmith Fire/ Rescue volunteers its time and services to the community at large.

Throughout the year, department members instruct babysitting courses, test and install smoke alarms, and host weekly workshops for new parents where they offer hands-on instruction on how to properly install child safety seats in vehicles.

The firefighters host an annual Santa parade, too, Delcourt added, doling out candy and oranges to kids along the route from the department’s dressed-up trucks.

Save for time spent responding to calls, Delcourt said, all services provided by the department are performed on a volunteer basis.

“There’s always something someone wants their fire department to do,” he added.

The department’s contribution to the Festival of Lights hasn’t gone unnoticed by festival organizers or Ladysmith town council.

“For years and years and years, the fire department and their families have re-bulbed all the lights,” said town council member Duck Paterson. “Downtown wouldn’t be what it is if it weren’t for the fire department.”

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Kinsmen so helpful

The Ladysmith Kinsmen Club has played an increasingly important role in supporting and organizing t he Festival of Lights since its inception.

Duck Paterson, town councillor and longtime Kinsmen member, revisited the club’s long history of involvement with the festival.

“Years ago,” Paterson said, “when the festival was still a baby, decorations and lights were stored in people’s basements and garages and at Public Works. We didn’t have a whole pile of stuff, but what we had was spread all over the place.”

In 1995, the Kinsmen discovered a metal pre-fab structure available at a discount from an American distributor, Paterson added. A handful of Kinsmen, including Paterson himself, approached festival organizers to gauge their interest in a new building to house the festival’s decorations.

“They jumped at the chance,” Paterson said.

Festival organizers and the Kinsmen partnered with the Town of Ladysmith to find a location for the structure on property owned by the town, and the venture quickly evolved into a community project. As the festival expanded over the ensuing years, it quickly outgrew the original building, Paterson said, prompting the Kinsmen to add onto the structure.

The Kinsmen constructed the lighting apparatus for Ladysmith’s most celebrated conifer, Paterson said, referring to the tree at Aggie Hall that bears the name of original Kinsmen and Festival of Lights member Chuck Perrin. Kinsmen members have also organized the festival’s parade for more than 15 years, organizing the lineup ever since the first parade.

Cliff Fisher, president of the Festival of Light’s board of directors, lauded the contributions made by organizations and community members.

“The Festival of Lights would absolutely never happen without the time and effort contributed by volunteers,” he said.

Ho, Ho, Holiday

Greetings Delivering wishes merry and bright to all of our friends and neighbors at Christmastime!

With sincere thanks for your loyal support for the past 32 years, we wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Quality collision repairs, restorations, custom painting and air brushing and a courtesy reindeer is available.

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Seasons Greetings

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Ladysmith Chronicle

LDCU fills out fireworks wish list Imagine walking into your favourite toy store with a printed wish list 10 pages long and a bankroll thick enough to purchase every last item it contains. As far as fictional scenarios are concerned, that’s one toy story fantasy rivalling anyone’s wildest childhood daydreams.

Festival of Lights organizers filled out a wish list just as long when they went shopping for fireworks for this year’s 25th-anniversary celebration, capitalizing on funding provided by the Ladysmith and District Credit Union (LDCU).

John de Leeuw, CEO of the LDCU, wouldn’t comment on how much the credit union donated to the fireworks fund this year, but he offered assurances that the show would the highlight of the night. “ We want to make sure that it’s the climax of the evening,” de Leeuw said. “In the last 10 years,

Photo Courtesy of Duck Paterson

I haven’t been disappointed. And I’m a Disneyland guy. My family’s big on Disney and we go to Disneyland every chance we get.

There, the fireworks are unbelievable. Ours are pretty darn impressive for a small town.”

De Leeuw added that the LDCU has been the primary sponsor for

the fireworks display for roughly the last five years and that he considers the credit union’s sponsorship of the festival “incredibly important.”

“For as long as I’ve been here, this credit union has taken very seriously its role as a corporate citizen,” de Leeuw said. “How we

present ourselves as a small community is important to us. If our community thrives, obviously we thrive. That’s always been our philosophy.”

Cliff Fisher, president of the festival’s board of directors, said the credit union contributed more this year than in previous years and described its contributions as “tremendous,” but he was equally tight-lipped regarding how much the LDCU donated.

Fisher alluded to the size of this year’s show by disclosing the length of their fireworks inventory, then added that this year’s pyrotechnics display will have a “surprise twist to it.”

Fireworks are scheduled to be lit off at Aggie Fields following the completion of the Kinsmen Parade and the lighting up of Aggie Hall, Bob Stuart Park and the Chuck Perrin Christmas tree.

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13

Thursday, November 29, 2012

The man behind the fireworks

You see all the light and the colour, and you hear all the noise, but have you ever thought about the people behind the fantastic fireworks show at Light Up? Ron Burrows has been setting off fireworks at Light Up since the very beginning. Burrows and Fraser Carmichael own Grove Service Ltd., and they volunteer to do the Light Up show with a fire crew that includes Jimmy, Mickey, Keith, Paul, Kenny, Kevin, Garrett and Tory.

“My shooters are good,” said Burrows. “We’ve been at it 25 years.

My young guys were only babies when we started.”

Grove Service is now based in Chase River, but Burrows had a Grove Service in Ladysmith for 20 years.

Burrows recalls that when the Festival of Lights began, they set off the fireworks behind the Islander Hotel.

“It was scary because we had no room,” said Burrows. “We had smaller fireworks then. I think we did them two years behind the Islander Hotel. The last one was too windy.”

Burrows says being part of Light Up is “too much fun.”

He praises Ladysmith Fire/Rescue for doing such a great job making sure everything and everyone is safe during the fireworks show.

“They look after us pretty good and keep everyone back,” he said.

“They do a hell of a job for us.”

Photo Courtesy of DuCk Paterson

SIXTH A N N UA L

6th – 22nd

D EC E M B ER

CEDAR COMMUNITY HALL 2388 Cedar Road, Nanaimo Tickets available at the Port Theatre www.porttheatre.com / 250.754.8550 www.yellowpointchristmasspectacular.ca

Celebrating Light Up and Pre-Christmas Sale 30&-40% off Caravelle, & Bulova Watches and Clocks 30%-50% Off All Silver Jewellery including earrings, chains and pendants 30% off Gold Chains, bracelets and more in-store specials

Lee’s Goldsmith 516 First Avenue, Ladysmith

250-245-3333

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ORGANIZERS, SPONSORS AND VOLUNTEERS ON THE

25TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS!

Community Offices

Box 269 | 524 1st Avenue Ladysmith, BC V9G 1A2 Phone 250.245.9375 | Fax 250.245.8164

Doug Routley, MLA Nanaimo~North Cowichan

Unit 112 50 Tenth Street Nanaimo, BC V9R 6L1 Phone 250.716.5221 | Fax 250.716.5222

Email douglas.routley.mla@leg.bc.ca Website www.dougroutley.ca

14

Ladysmith Chronicle

RYLER GROUP Decorating the OF COMPANIES town for Light Up

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Have a Slice with Us during Light-Up Night!

It’s easy to get into the spirit of the holidays when every shop, house and street is decorated.

The Ladysmith Festival of Lights transforms downtown into a Christmas paradise that even the North Pole might get jealous of.

Most people over the age of three realize that the plastic reindeer which line the streets are not real. So where do all the decorations come from?

Gary Turner Display Ltd. in Delta is the company responsible for creating that holiday spirit which grips the Ladysmith community.

“I think we’ve been involved since day one ... we build and manufacture about 90 per cent of the product that is being put up,” said Gord Kelleway, the owner of Gary Turner Display. “Metal frames, light fixtures, cross-street stringers — we’ve been part of the building and creating since the beginning.”

Like the elves in Santa’s workshop, Gary Turner Display has been a silent partner of the holiday festival for many years. After 11 months in the workshop, the design company sends over carefully crafted decorations for everyone’s enjoyment.

“We just get in and out and do it. We do everything to put smiles on the kids’ faces, that’s our drive,” Kelleway said. “It’s all been custom ordered to fit their needs, the buildings, where things are going to be used, and we supply them with ideas and drawings and move from there.”

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15

Thursday, November 29, 2012

Christmas in Ladysmith

Some other favourite Ladysmith Christmas events:

Sun., Dec. 2 — Cinnamon Bun Fun Run 5k or 10K run/walk at Frank Jameson Community Centre. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m., and the run starts at 9:30 a.m.

Thu., Dec. 6-Sat., Dec. 22 — Yellowpoint Christmas Spectacular at the Cedar Community Hall Fri., Dec. 7 — Ladysmith Downtown Business Association Old Tyme Christmas. and Candlelight Walk. Enjoy carolling, bonfires, crafts, gift wrapping, late-night shopping and more in downtown Ladysmith from 5-8 p.m.

Sat., Dec. 8 — Ladysmith Family and Friends Breakfast with Santa at Aggie Hall. Seatings are at 8:45 a.m. and 10:45 a.m.

Sat., Dec. 8 — Christmas Lights Sail Past cruise and bonfire at Transfer Beach in the evening Sun., Dec. 9 — 36th Annual Festival of Choirs at Bethel Tabernacle, starting at 6:30 p.m.

Sun., Dec. 16 — Ladysmith Fire/Rescue Santa Claus Parade from 4-9 p.m.

Fri., Dec. 21 — Celebration of Light fundraising concert for the Ladysmith Food Bank from 7-10 p.m. at Eagles Hall

We have glow sticks, umbrellas, hats, gloves, extension cords, indoor & outdoor lights, replacement bulbs, and decorations!

CHRISTMAS HOURS Mon to Fri 9:00-9:00 Sat & Sun 9:00-6:00

Coronation Mall, Ladysmith

250-245-5856 PROUD SUPPORTERS OF

LADYSMITH FESTIVAL OF LIGHTS In the spirit of giving each year Safeway expresses their community spirit by donating 1,000 hot dogs and buns to the Festival of Lights

ingredients for life

Coronation Mall Ladysmith

Ricky’s gift cards fit all budgets, tastes and occasions!

For the holidays and every day. Available in any denomination.

370 TRANS CANADA HIGHWAY 250.245.7933 ladysmith.gotorickys.com

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Ladysmith Chronicle