It's the most wonderful time of the year on P.E.I. Take a look at how Islanders are celebrating, decorating and bring the holiday spirit home.
An Island Christmas
It's the most wonderful time of the year
Brian McInnis
December 24, 2019
Christmas is a time of traditions, a time to gather with family and friends. To many it's a religious festival. But however one views it, Christmas is a magical time of year.
The colourful lights, gifts under the tree, the look of wonder on the faces of children as they sit on Santa’s knee and, of course, the magic of Christmas morning are just some of the things that make it such a special time.
Many families have Christmas traditions that draw them closer together. For Alicia Bremner and her father Victor, who live on the Bedford Road, it is assembling a Christmas village in their living room. It started 25 years ago when she bought her father some pieces and it has grown from there. Every piece, except for several, have been gifts from her. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
The Christmas village that Alicia Bremner and her father Victor put up each holiday season takes about two-and-a-half days to assemble and stays in the family’s living room until late January. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
This is a toy train that would have been given to a child back in the Victorian era. It is on display in Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Santa Claus visits Charlottetown every holiday season and parents take their excited children to tell the old elf just what they want for Christmas. Three-and-a-half-year-old Keeva Hately of Charlottetown wasted no time in giving Santa her list. She was visiting the Confederation Court Mall with her grandmother, Marleen Wolfe. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
The Christmas trees at the Charlottetown Mall are covered with tributes from people who have lost loved ones to cancer. The annual event is hosted by Hospice P.E.I. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Even some goats at Island Hill Farm are dressed for the season thanks to co-owner Flory Sanderson. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
With Christmas comes much wrapping, as Valerie Maund can attest. She is a sales associate at Anne of Green Gables Chocolates in Charlottetown. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
The residents of North Rustico know no boundaries when it comes to decorating their homes for Christmas. Fourteen years ago, James Gallant decorated his house as a way to try to get over the death of his son. It morphed into what today is a spectacular light show. The manger scene, left, was damaged by vandals earlier this month so the village came together to help Gallant repair the damage. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
The front lawn of James Gallant’s North Rustico home is a sea of lights that has grown huge since he began the tradition 14 years ago. He uses the display to collect donations for the Children’s Wish Foundation and over the years, he has given thousands of dollars to the organization. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
A manger scene on the lawn of a house in North Rustico. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Santa and his elves caught red-handed delivering gifts to a house in North Rustico. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Beaconsfield Historic House in Charlottetown has decorated the living room as it would appear in Victorian times. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Confederation Centre of the Arts in Charlottetown is all dressed for the holiday season. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Fourteen residents along Upper Meadow Bank Road decided to make Frosty the Snowman the centre of attention on their lawns this Christmas. Most of the Frosties have a different message on the sign. (Brian McInnis/CBC)
Brian McInnis
Brian McInnis is a Charlottetown-based freelance photographer.
Besides CBC, he has done photo work for The Canadian Press, Globe and Mail, Toronto Star, Tourism P.E.I., City of Charlottetown, Downtown Charlottetown Inc. and many other national newspapers and magazines.
