Harrow business owner pitches plan to replace ‘embarrassing’ old snowflake lights

Snowflake lights seen in Essex. (File)

A Harrow business owner is confident the community can rally together to fund new holiday lights in their busy core.

Katie Dennis pitched the plan to Essex town council Tuesday evening during a discussion on the town’s older-style snowflakes that are in constant need of repair.

Dennis, who operates Shine Hospitality in Harrow, said bright holiday decorations in other communities show the “investment in Christmas spirit.”

“These decorations may seem like small details, but they play a much larger role in the shaping of the identity and the vitality of our downtown,” Dennis said to council.

Dennis told CTV News the lights, which at times stop working, have become “embarrassing” for businesses and residents in Harrow.

Rather than put the financial weight on the town, Dennis is confident that collaboration between local business and fundraising can fund new decorations.

“I think that the residents of Harrow would be really supportive of something like this. I think that it means a lot to everybody to stand out amongst all the towns that are so beautiful,” Dennis said.

Staff encouraged the business owner to collaborate with their departments on fundraising and purchasing.

According to town staff, about 18 snowflake decorations are installed in Harrow each winter. It’s estimated replacements could cost between $1,100 and $1,400 per display.

Hopeful to make it a made-in-Harrow solution, Dennis said she’s reached out to a local business to inquire about locally sourced lights.

“I have spoken to a few Harrow businesses about this issue, and I actually have requested a quote from a business in Harrow about the building of new lights that will be sustainable, and hopefully they can come up with something, and I can present it to council then,” Dennis said.

During Tuesday’s meeting, council also heard about 23 older-style decorations that need to be replaced in Essex Centre.

However, due to light poles beyond the state of repair, council, on the recommendation from staff, voted to stop using the older-style lights.

Instead, council will wait until future phases of the Essex Centre streetscape redevelopment, when the poles are replaced, to purchase new snowflake lights.

Snowflakes purchased more recently by the Essex BIA will still be featured on stretches that have new infrastructure.