We reached out to Huntsville councillors and asked them to share their favourite Christmas memories with us.
Merry Christmas and best wishes for a Healthy and Happy New Year
~ Huntsville Doppler
Nancy Alcock
Of the many wonderful Christmas memories, likely the most memorable had to be the annual Christmas Eve party at our neighbours’ house in Oakville. What made it special was both the formality and magic of the whole night. The party was held in our neighbours’ home which was a big drafty heritage house and every family in the neighbourhood dressed for the occasion. At the end of the evening all of the guests would gather around the piano in the conservatory and sing Christmas carols – the crowd included every generation from five to 95! To mark the end of the evening, our host would walk in under candlelight with a huge tray of flaming raisins…. Not sure anyone tried to eat them but, as a small child, it was terribly exciting.
Dan Armour
Ah, Christmas Eve. It brings a smile to my face thinking about the house full of people – family, friends, neighbours. For the last 20+ years we have had a get together at our home on Christmas Eve and it has become a tradition for us. Everyone is always welcome to stop by for a visit and for some Christmas cheer.
Dione Schumacher
One of my favourite Christmas memories is of the Christmas concerts at the Utterson Community Hall. As kids we would get off the school bus at the corner of Old Muskoka Rd and Hwy 141 every Friday after school for about four or five weeks prior to the last day of school – which would be the Friday night of the Utterson Christmas concert.
Parents and community members would volunteer their time each Friday to teach kids songs or practice their parts for the plays. Children would be grouped by age and given their parts. The night of the performance the community would come together. Other community members might put on a solo or instrumental performance of their own. Parents were excited to see their kids perform. Kids were happy to spend a fun night with their friends.
My first Utterson Christmas concert was when I was 16 months old (I don’t have a memory of this) but I’ve been told I ran up on stage and danced while Ega DeGroot played Christmas songs on her accordion. Once she stopped playing I stood there with my hands on my hips and stomped my feet until she played another song for me to dance to. My father had to come up and take me back to my seat.
The night always culminated with a visit from Santa (Ray Porter) who would hand out presents to all the kids (big and small) – you never knew who Santa had left a present for under the tree. There was one Christmas when I was five years old, when my brother and I had just gotten out our tonsils and we were not allowed to attend the concert – so Santa (Ray) came to our house. Some years a group of people would get together and go caroling around the neighbourhood after the concert. My favourite memories are of community Christmas and people coming together in the spirit of Christmas.
Karin Terziano
My favourite Christmas memory is easy. The Terziano family gathered at our Uncle Lou’s home every Christmas Eve. It was an open house but once we arrived, we stayed the evening, until heading off to Christmas Eve mass at midnight. It was the one time each year that we could be sure we would all be together.
Christmas Eve is still my favourite part of the holidays. We do our best every year to carry on the tradition at my home on Christmas Eve with as many of the remaining Terziano family members as we can – next generations and new memories.
Brian Thompson
I think the Christmas memories that remain most vividly are from my childhood when still quite young and living on the farm at Melissa. I recall the excitement of removing trinkets and toys from my Christmas stocking knowing there would be an orange at the very bottom. Oranges were not common in our home in those days and to get one was a real special treat. The year I turned five Santa brought me a rocking horse which was one of the few items that survived a fire in January in which we lost everything we owned. It happened to be near the door and was thrown out into the yard by someone trying to salvage what they could. I was luckier than my brothers who lost all their presents in the fire.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all reading these special messages.
Jonathan Wiebe
At Christmas, gathering with family is very important for me. I have three brothers and in our twenties we were scattered all across the country so it made getting together more challenging but also more enjoyable. I can remember one Christmas when my eldest brother Mike wasn’t able to make the flight home and although disappointed, we came to accept it. He was going to stay with my aunt and uncle in Mississauga for the holidays but instead, my aunt made special arrangements to fly my brother home (northern Alberta at the time) to the small regional airport and surprise my parents. The three of us siblings made a plan to “head out to a movie” but instead made our way to the cold and snowy airport to pick up Mike. We came back a while later and entered the house, the four of us, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. It took my mother several moments to process the sight of her eldest son strolling through the kitchen towards the refrigerator as we always just did. It was such a wonderful and joyous surprise that none of us will forget any time soon!
Tim Withey
I don’t really have a particular memory that sticks in my mind but for me Christmas and the holidays are the best because it is an opportunity for relatives and extended family to get together. My siblings and I have always been very close which has resulted in our children being close as well. So the holidays afford a time where we can break from our everyday lives and convene for a family checkup. Always fun.
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Bryan D. Boothby says
Merry Christmas and Seasons Greetings to everyone from our family to yours. Heather & Bryan
Robert Attfield says
Thanks for sharing these touching stories!
Jim Sinclair says
Merry Christmas to all you Councillors! I have to tell you about Brian’s comments about oranges being hard to come by back in those days.
They were scarce items, but we did get an orange each – My Mum and my sister and I.
You see my Dad was a member of Camp ‘X’, involved in many various clandestine duties while based at the Camp. At Christmas, the Quartermaster of the Camp set side an orange for family members of the soldiers based there, but they had to be carefully hidden from the MP’s at the gate as the fruit was supposed to be for the Officers and foreign agents-in-training. But, Dad picked up a few tricks while being stationed there.
I hope there is never again a need for such a place as Camp ‘X’. It did good, but…….