Essex, Ont. neighbourhood unites behind inflatable ‘Snowman Army’

In the Town of Essex, one subdivision has transformed a quick chat between neighbours into a full-blown holiday spectacle. CTV Windsor's Travis Fortnum has more

In the Town of Essex, one subdivision has transformed a quick chat between neighbours into a full-blown holiday spectacle -- lining the streets with more than 40 identical, 12-foot snowmen.

It all started on Morris Drive, in a neighbourhood on the north end of town residents call Townsview Estates, about a month ago, when residents Troy Labadie and Carlos Delgado began tossing around ideas for a coordinated display.

Labadie had seen videos online of oversized inflatables and thought they could do something similar at home.

“I thought, what a cool thing it would be to have everybody chip in and do their own inflatable or match,” he said.

The plan hadn’t even fully settled before their neighbour, Debbie Hewitt, took it upon herself to supercharge it.

“She organized ordering 30 of them at once on Amazon because there was a good sale on,” Labadie said.

“And she sold all 30 within no time at all.”

Once the first inflatables went up, more neighbours bought in, creating what residents now proudly call their “Snowman Army.”

“Right now we got over 40 snowmen, 12ft tall,” Delgado said.

“Ultimately the goal is to grow. We’re not going to force anybody here… this is what we’re doing. This is part of the Townsview Estates tradition.”

For Labadie, the joy has been watching people react, especially kids.

“The neighborhood loves it. The kids love it. And that’s what matters the most,” he said.

He often sees families driving through slowly, children pointing out the towering figures and people stopping to take photos and video.

Labadie says he hopes the display offers a lift at a time many people need one.

“A lot of people are going through a lot of hardship. And especially this time of year is very tough for a lot of people,” he said.

“So if we can put a smile on the face by them taking a look at a bunch of snowmen and call it the Snowman Army, it’s just an awesome thing.”

Families passing through seem to agree.

One mother, Krysten, says she stumbled onto the display while driving with her kids.

“We came into the neighborhood and we have all these similar snowmen everywhere,” she said.

“The kids were just roaring and laughing.”

Her favourite part? “I think it’s wonderful. It shows a sense of community and togetherness.”

The residents behind the Snowman Army encourage visitors.

Just head to Morris Drive and take a drive or walk around the subdivision.