Martin was the youngest of nine children in their Fruitland, Ont., home. She said they didn’t have much; Martin’s father had passed away. Yet, despite having a lot on her plate, her mother made the festivities a focus for the family.
“She hauled in the tree by herself, decorated the house by herself,” says Martin, 52. “My mother was a big Christmas lover. Even the year she passed away — she was 88 — she was still putting up decorations. I inherited all her Christmas decorations.”
Martin also inherited her mother’s spirit for the season. When she met her husband Trevor Walker, she said he grumbled about the lights. But then they had their own children.
“She hauled in the tree by herself, decorated the house by herself,” says Martin, 52. “My mother was a big Christmas lover. Even the year she passed away — she was 88 — she was still putting up decorations. I inherited all her Christmas decorations.”
Martin also inherited her mother’s spirit for the season. When she met her husband Trevor Walker, she said he grumbled about the lights. But then they had their own children.
“I told him, ‘It’s not about you, it’s about the kids.’ And it was like the lights turned on in his head, literally. Then he started involving himself, and took over. When I did it, I hung the twinkling white lights, cedar boughs and red bows.
“When my husband took over about 10 years ago, first he added the coloured lights. Then it became the Griswoldian light show from hell,” Martin says, laughing, about the over-the-top decorating done by the character played by Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
The couple’s decorations were among those sent to the Star when we asked readers to tell us about some of the city’s best festive light displays.
“When my husband took over about 10 years ago, first he added the coloured lights. Then it became the Griswoldian light show from hell,” Martin says, laughing, about the over-the-top decorating done by the character played by Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.
The couple’s decorations were among those sent to the Star when we asked readers to tell us about some of the city’s best festive light displays.
An old-fashioned Santa and sleigh at Karin Martin's house.
In a quiet residential neighbourhood near Dufferin St. and Eglinton Ave. W., Mary Genua has been decorating her home for almost 30 years. She used to work at nearby St. John Bosco Catholic school and did it for the neighbourhood kids after starting with a few decorations, and then outdoing herself each year.
“I love Christmas as much as the kids do,” says Genua, leaning on a cane, admiring her latest acquisitions on the front lawn: a new snowman and two pre-lit artificial Christmas trees. “I got a good deal on the trees. They are normally $300 each, but I got ’em for $45 on a Boxing Day sale,” she says.
In a quiet residential neighbourhood near Dufferin St. and Eglinton Ave. W., Mary Genua has been decorating her home for almost 30 years. She used to work at nearby St. John Bosco Catholic school and did it for the neighbourhood kids after starting with a few decorations, and then outdoing herself each year.
“I love Christmas as much as the kids do,” says Genua, leaning on a cane, admiring her latest acquisitions on the front lawn: a new snowman and two pre-lit artificial Christmas trees. “I got a good deal on the trees. They are normally $300 each, but I got ’em for $45 on a Boxing Day sale,” she says.
Mary Genua has spent nearly 30 years decorating her home at 6 Holmesdale Cres. She expands her display each year.
“You have to try these glasses on,” she says, handing out 3-D glasses that make the tree appear covered with Santa and reindeers. “Isn’t that cool?!”
Andrew Fraser began hanging Christmas lights on his towering Norwegian maple after watching an arborist trim a neighbour’s tree in his Lawrence Ave. W. and Avenue Rd. neighbourhood.
“What they use is, literally, a big sling shot, weighted down by a bean bag. It was the coolest thing,” says Fraser. Intrigued, he bought one of the contraptions and used it to string a few lights around the big tree.
Then he fine-tuned the concept of an installation hanging from first branch — roughly one-and-a-half storeys high.
“You have to try these glasses on,” she says, handing out 3-D glasses that make the tree appear covered with Santa and reindeers. “Isn’t that cool?!”
Andrew Fraser began hanging Christmas lights on his towering Norwegian maple after watching an arborist trim a neighbour’s tree in his Lawrence Ave. W. and Avenue Rd. neighbourhood.
“What they use is, literally, a big sling shot, weighted down by a bean bag. It was the coolest thing,” says Fraser. Intrigued, he bought one of the contraptions and used it to string a few lights around the big tree.
Then he fine-tuned the concept of an installation hanging from first branch — roughly one-and-a-half storeys high.
Andrew Fraser creates a new, 1-1/2-storey design each year and this Christmas dedicated his efforts to the peace sign seen as a symbol of global unity in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in Paris.
“Over the years I’ve done Christmas balls, a chandelier, a giant candy cane, a snowman, a shooting star,” he adds. This year’s peace sign came up during a conversation at a neighbourhood party. “I am not a particularly political person . . . But just given the sense of community, and the stuff going on in the news, it struck a chord. I originally thought of doing an angel. A peace symbol was much easier.”
There’s no particular symbolism to the decorations festooning Grace D’Elia’s home in Parkdale, famous as one of the brightest Christmas lights displays in the city. The front lawn is filled with snowmen, a duck, a rooster, a penguin, candy canes, angels, snowflakes and stars. There’s a Christmas countdown clock on the porch.
“Over the years I’ve done Christmas balls, a chandelier, a giant candy cane, a snowman, a shooting star,” he adds. This year’s peace sign came up during a conversation at a neighbourhood party. “I am not a particularly political person . . . But just given the sense of community, and the stuff going on in the news, it struck a chord. I originally thought of doing an angel. A peace symbol was much easier.”
There’s no particular symbolism to the decorations festooning Grace D’Elia’s home in Parkdale, famous as one of the brightest Christmas lights displays in the city. The front lawn is filled with snowmen, a duck, a rooster, a penguin, candy canes, angels, snowflakes and stars. There’s a Christmas countdown clock on the porch.
Grace D’Elia’s home in Parkdale is known as one of the brightest displays in the city.
“My
parents still do as much as they can. There’s got to be over 5,000
lights out there,” she says. “Now my father likes to put together his
Christmas Village. He enjoys setting it up in the dining room.”
Meanwhile,
in Mississauga, Sharon and Chuck Langley make their apartment building a
winter wonderland. Sharon, 65, and Chuck, 83, both from the East Coast,
are supervisors of the building and self-described “Christmas nuts.”
Christine Murphy, a.k.a. Ms Kandy Kane, with superintendants Chuck and Sharon Langley in the lobby of the apartment building they turn into a winter wonderland.
The Langley’s Mississauga Christmas cheer started off nine years ago with decorating the lobby. It spread into the mailbox area — and then outside.
“We do it for the kids. We’re big softies,” says Sharon.
“We have the best Santa Claus, he has a real beard,” says Sharon. “Santa Claus stays until the last kid has gone. It’s just fantastic watching the kids, their eyes bulging out.”
The Langley’s Mississauga Christmas cheer started off nine years ago with decorating the lobby. It spread into the mailbox area — and then outside.
“We do it for the kids. We’re big softies,” says Sharon.
“We have the best Santa Claus, he has a real beard,” says Sharon. “Santa Claus stays until the last kid has gone. It’s just fantastic watching the kids, their eyes bulging out.”
Vince Talotta
Sharon and Chuck Langley's apartment building in Mississauga lights up for the holiday season.
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