Nelson Zandbergen
Nation Valley News
CHESTERVILLE — A summer campaign to fund new village Christmas decorations has yielded an avalanche of support for illuminated snowflakes that will go up on 10 hydro poles this season. The support is local, as is the manufacture of the decorations themselves.
Measuring four feet across and lit up with a string of weather-proof LED lights, a prototype steel snowflake recently wowed members of the Chesterville Rotary Club who checked it out at the Young family’s Industrial Stainless shop on Joseph Street.
Club secretary Betty Vanden Bosch has spearheaded the campaign, which has so far raised over $13,000 for new village decorations, including a planned display of ‘Merry Christmas’ at the former village hall at 1 Mill Street. That’s enough money for about 20 snowflakes — half to be constructed in time for Christmas — but Vanden Bosch says they’ll take more and boost the order if demand warrants.
The new decorations will replace old worn-out display pieces dating to the late 1970’s. North Dundas Mayor Eric Duncan has said the township will accommodate the new snowflakes by ensuring power outlets are installed on the poles as needed. When the township upgraded to LED streetlamps a couple of years ago, existing outlets were disabled because of a code issue.
