It’s beginning to look a lot less like Christmas downtown

Some downtown streets have less festive colour this holiday season, since the city can’t add all of its usual Christmas lights.

The annual display usually adds twinkling lights, some in the shapes of angels, stars and snowflakes, to 124 decorative poles, which is not an option this year.

“We all like sparkle, everyone loves sparkle and light, so that’s sad,” said Coun. Janice Lukes, chairwoman of public works.

The scaled-back holiday display is due to decorative “heritage” poles that were installed between 1997 and 1999, which were replaced due to a public safety risk, said city spokesman Adam Campbell, in an email.

“The old poles were at risk of falling over due to deterioration around the bases,” wrote Campbell.

Temporary poles that lack attachments for festive lighting are now in use instead.

These should be replaced by 124 custom-designed decorative poles that can hold holiday lights “within two years,” said Campbell.

“Typically, smaller shipments take about eight months to arrive. Hydro is attempting to place a larger order… which will unfortunately extend the lead time,” he wrote.

Lukes (Waverley West) noted the city expects to spend $1 million on the permanent poles and has set a budget for the work.

“(The reduced holiday lighting is) not a permanent change… I think we’re headed in the right direction,” she said.

The city has set up its other holiday streetlighting displays along four centre medians on Portage Avenue and one median in front of city hall on Main Street.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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