By Jim McGregor/Special to 91原创 Advance Times

When Dave Ethier and Audrey Sinclair moved to 91原创 from Cloverdale three months ago, they made sure to bring along all their Christmas and Halloween lights and lawn displays.

Ethier says he enjoys the sense of community that their displays generate.

鈥淲hen we lived in our Cloverdale townhouse, I had noticed that no one was really decorating there and I first started to put up a display to get ready for our grandkids.鈥�

As Ethier鈥檚 displays grew bigger, others started to appear.

鈥淚t almost becomes a bit of friendly competition, to see if someone can do something different than the other neighbour. I think there has been something lost with two people working all day and everyone being so busy now. People have lost that connection with many of their neighbours, and I find that our displays at Halloween and Christmas get people to stop and chat and that creates a sense of community.鈥�

MORE 鈥� INTERACTIVE MAP: 91原创 is lighting up for the holidays

Sinclair, who grew up in a small town, High Prairie, Alta., enjoys the people their display brings out.

鈥淲e had over 400 kids at Halloween at our other place and they all have their parents with them,鈥� she shared.

鈥淭his is such a welcoming neighbourhood. When we moved in, a neighbour brought us a plant and a list with the names and locations and phone numbers of all the people in the cul-de-sac and then with their kids bringing them over to look at the lights, we get to know them. It鈥檚 like we鈥檝e lived here a long time.鈥�

Their house is located at the corner of 209th Street and 50B Avenue, in 91原创 City and lights up the corner.

鈥淩ight now we have more than 8,500 lights and some neon ribbon lights and LED displays,鈥� Ethier said.

鈥淚 want to add more, but this being the first year here I have to see where it fits best. Our last place was a three-storey townhouse, so this rancher is a lot easier to decorate. But what I鈥檓 really waiting for is when the grandkids are ready to help put everything up, but we鈥檙e not quite there yet.鈥�

The outside lights are Ethier鈥檚 responsibility and Sinclair is in charge of the tree and interior decorations.

鈥淚 let him do his thing outside, 鈥樷�檚aid Sinclair. 鈥淗e鈥檚 really just a big kid. And he says the display won鈥檛 grow, but it probably will.鈥�

Ethier grew up in 91原创 in the 1950s, 鈥�60s, and 鈥�70s and left after school.

鈥淣ow, I鈥檝e come full circle and it鈥檚 nice to be in a neighbourhood where people bring you homemade bread or tomatoes from their garden. That鈥檚 just like the 91原创 I remember. It鈥檚 a warm, comfortable feeling to see that even though the community of 91原创 has grown so much, those small town beliefs are still here.鈥�

Ethier and Sinclair invite everyone to put their display on your Christmas light tour. It鈥檚 a simple way for them to give back to a welcoming community.

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