With the holiday season about to begin, Town of Canora associates are working hard to ensure the citizens get some extra holiday cheer.
The Winter Lights Festival will be held for another year from December 4 to 11, though Jo-Anne Sigurdson, the community development officer, says that families and business owners can already start preparing for the event through the town’s new contests.
This year, the Town of Canora is hosting the Winter Lights Christmas Concert for both residential areas and the downtown district. Sigurdson says no registration is required for the event, and interested participants may simply decorate the outside of their houses or businesses to enter. The Economic Development Committee will then judge the winners to be announced on December 15.
Sigurdson said she hopes there will be a good response, so that everyone in the town may admire the lights while taking part in the Winter Lights Festival activities.
December 4 will kick off the festivities with the annual Canora Hospital Auxiliary Carol Festival to be held at Canora Composite School. This marks the 60th iteration of this event, and everyone is encouraged to enjoy the entertainment.
Sigurdson is particularly excited for the sleigh rides, which will be held on December 5 at the Canora CN Station House Museum and Visitor Centre.
“There will be music and the whole museum is going to be decorated for the event,” she said, adding that the horse-drawn cart rides will be free to all who attend and hot chocolate and apple cider will be available for purchase.
Next up on December 6 is Skate with Santa, where all children are encouraged to come to the Canora Civic Centre for free skating and hot chocolate with Santa.
The Canora Nursery School will be holding a bake sale on December 7 to raise money for the school. Also on December 7 will be a youth event at the Canora Activity Centre. Everyone ages 13 to 18 is encouraged to come play Christmas Present Bingo for the chance to win exciting prizes.
Starting the activities on December 8 will be a Christmas tea to be held at the Keen Age Centre. Tea, coffee, juice, baked goods and sandwiches will be available to be purchased and enjoyed. Then the event that Sigurdson says is possibly the most exciting will begin
A parade will be held down Main Street, before a bonfire and fireworks show is held at the Canora Ag Grounds. Free hot dogs and chocolate will be available. Sigurdson said that the event is looking to be just as exciting for residents, and wanted to stress that everyone who wishes to should enter a float for the parade as soon as possible.
An event Sigurdson is looking forward to is the Cookie Walk to be held at the United Church on December 9.
“It’s so awesome. You just buy a bag and you get to fill it with whatever cookies you want,” she said. Bags of frozen perogies will also be available to purchase.
December 10 will feature a new event at the Canora Activity Centre called Letters to Santa with Mrs. Claus. Sigurdson said she hopes for this to be a major children’s event, and all are welcome to come join Mrs. Claus to write letters to Santa and take pictures with Mrs. Claus. Glitter, stickers, and other supplies will be available for children to decorate their letters, and a snack will be provided.
“All letters will be given to Mrs. Claus so she can deliver them personally to Santa, and all letters are guaranteed to be answered,” Sigurdson said.
The festival will wind down with Breakfast with Santa on December 11 at the Canora Activity Centre. The Canora Wheatland Lioness Club will be serving pancakes with strawberries and cream and sausage, and children may also take the opportunity to be photographed with Santa.
Throughout the week of the festival, donation bins will be set up to encourage citizens to help those less fortunate also enjoy the holidays. Filling The Gap will have food bins at Gateway Co-op, Dennis Foods, the Bargain Shop, and CIBC. Toy bins for the Yuletide Toy Drive will be located at Canora Mall Pharmacy, Canora Pharmacy, Crossroads Credit Union, CIBC, the Bargain Shop, Canora Junior Elementary School, Canora Composite School and Canora Ambulance.
