Lighting of the Lights: Tradition resumes after COVID interruption

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A long-standing Forest City tradition – which got shelved last year – resumed Friday evening.

Hundreds of Londoners, mostly families with young children, gathered in Victoria Park to watch the official lighting of the lights ceremony. Although there were plenty of lights a year ago, there was no ceremony to mark their inaugural lighting last fall.

The festive lights, some in the shape of candy canes and snowmen silhouettes, lit up the freshly fallen snow, the region’s first significant snowfall.

Among the crowd was Marian Silva, a Fanshawe College international student who was taking in the lighting of the lights for the first time.

“I’m excited to see what will happen,” she said, adding “to enjoy the celebration with everyone.”

The Brazilian native moved to London in March 2020, days before the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization.

“I’m personally excited to bring (the ceremony) back to our community,” Mayor Ed Holder said in a statement beforehand.

More than 75,000 holiday lights were switched on at 6:50 p.m. Friday.

Last year, the tradition was “amended,” in Holder’s words, due to COVID precautions.

This year, Holder had “invited everyone to come out and join the festivities safely.”

The city asked those who took part to follow health precautions – including distancing from anyone outside their household and wearing a face covering – to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The lights will twinkle daily from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the park until New Year’s Day.

City hall’s promenade deck, a prime spot for viewing the illuminated spectacle, remains closed this year.

Displays such Santa Claus and his reindeer, the Christmas train and the snowmen family are all in place. Kids can drop off their wish lists at Santa’s mailbox, which magically will transport their heart’s desires to the North Pole.

Families looking to visit the rotund gift-giver at Santa’s house can make an appointment at www.tlcfoundation.ca to reserve a time.

As in previous years, there were specially decorated trees included in the display, among them a tree with yellow lights to honour Canadian troops serving overseas, a tree with pink lights to honour those with cancer, and a carpenter’s union tree with blue and yellow lights.

Skating is set to resume Dec. 4 at the outdoor rink in Victoria Park, the city said.