Residents of Canmore, Alberta have come together to help a local family restore their popular Christmas display just 24 hours after it was vandalized on Boxing Day.
Dave Ouellette put the popular Christmas has appeared for over a decade, since the birth of his 15-year-old daughter Rhyanna. As Ouellette explains, the display located just off Bow Trail took on a life of its own when the city adopted it as a must-see every holiday season.
“It got bigger and bigger. It’s become somewhat of an obsession and now it’s part of the city,” he says of the exhibit on which he estimates he has spent $100,000 over the years.
The exhibit features a rolling train, life-size statues of Darth Vader and Chewbacca and more inflatables than you can count.
Oullette has spent hours and hours on the exhibit over the years, changing it each year simply out of love for Christmas and the community’s appreciation for the exhibit. That’s why he experienced an emotional roller coaster when he discovered the popular display had been vandalized on Boxing Day.
“At first I was confused. In fact, all the emotions went through my mind,” he says. “Confusion… then of course, anger, resentment – like, who would do this and why,” he said, adding that 15 inflatables were affected.
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“I came to change Rudolph’s light bulb, and I noticed that some of the inflatables had been deflated, and then I noticed that they had actually been cut, torn, and the gingerbread house was meaning above and below.”
For her daughter, the exhibition became an integral part of her life, so she was devastated to learn of the damage.
“It’s a tradition, so it’s exactly what I’ve experienced,” she said. “It’s really disrespectful, especially considering how much they destroyed. It’s just not cool.
But the Oullette family felt a sense of pride and appreciation when the community rallied to help restore the display to its former Christmas glory, with only two inflatables beyond repair. Some residents helped repair some decorations while others offered words of support and appreciation.
“I am very touched by this experience. I didn’t know I had so much support in the city,” adds Oullette.
The Canmore community has shown how much the exhibit means to them by showing their support for this iconic tradition that will continue to capture the attention of all who pass it.
In a video obtained by Global News, a person is shown treating the decorations like a punching bag, with the act of vandalism caught on camera.
Since the act of vandalism, one person has turned himself in to the police.
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