UPDATE: Christmas in Williams Park will continue this year after 91原创 Township council voted to support it on Monday.

Council endorsed a motion from Coun. Steve Ferguson that would keep the event going this year.

The event this year is scheduled to run from Dec. 1 to 20 every evening. Admission is free, and donations go towards more lights and replacing existing lights.

A staff report to 91原创 Township proposes replacing the annual Christmas in Williams Park event with a 鈥渨alkable鈥� holiday display at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum.

Scheduled to be presented to council on Monday, Oct. 23, the report by Steve Scheepmaker, Township director of corporate administration, recommends spending $50,000 to acquire 鈥渃ommercial grade lights and related equipment鈥� for the two-week event in December, and recommends council 鈥減re-approve $34,400 in the 2024 budget for costs associated with operating the event.鈥�

Scheepmaker鈥檚 report, prepared with the the Township finance and engineering divisions, said the Arboretum at 21177 Fraser Hwy. 鈥渉as been identified as an optimal location given the availability of onsite power, a well-groomed trail system which will assist with accessibility, and nearby parking,鈥� adding 鈥渋t is important to note that Williams Park has limited parking and is not conducive to a walkable event.鈥�

READ ALSO: No Christmas in Williams Park a possibility, organizer warns

It puts the cost of the Williams Park event to the municipality at $55,000, the estimated expense of having municipal staff look after the set-up and take-down.

鈥淕iven the demands on the Parks operations budget, the historical complaints from residents on 238 street due to the significant increase in vehicular traffic associated with the Williams Park event, along with the environmental impacts of idling cars, staff are proposing a new walkable event to be held at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum,鈥� the report said.

A copy of the report was posted to the Christmas in Williams Park Society Facebook page, with a comment that 鈥渋t appears the goal was to use the money from our event to fund this new one.鈥�

The society has disputed the claims about complaints.

For more than 30 years, the non-profit Christmas in Williams Park society has been holding the annual event at the Township-owned park at 68th Ave and 238th Street.

In 2018, the Township took over setting up and taking down the light displays.

Barb Sharp, president of the society, said she was informed by letter last month that Township staff wouldn鈥檛 be assisting with the event any more.

Sharp told the 91原创 Advance Times because of the late notice, the society faces a 鈥渘ext to impossible鈥� challenge, and would be asking council to reconsider at their Monday meeting.

READ ALSO: Mayor responds to ruckus over possible end of Christmas in Williams Park

Councillor Kim Richter, who described the move as 鈥渢he new Grinch that stole Christmas,鈥� has filed a notice of motion for the Monday meeting that would see the Township continue to assist with the Williams Park event, with $50,000 鈥渇rom the 2023 Council contingency account, or some other available account with excess funds鈥� and funding to continue 鈥渋n 2024 and all subsequent years.鈥�

In her notice, Richter said the current council 鈥渄id not discuss, or pass a resolution removing staff support from [Christmas in Williams Park], nor did the current council discuss, authorize, or fund a replacement holiday lights event in another location.鈥�