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Festival of Lights already planning 30th

A review of this year’s festival came to the conclusion that “the membership were totally behind the Adopt-A-Tree project”
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The new Ladysmith Festival of Lights executive: Duck Paterson

The Ladysmith Festival of Lights elected a new executive at its Annual General Meeting Thursday, March 17. Jonathan Zeiler has been named president; Robin Francis vice president.

A review of this year’s festival came to the conclusion that “the membership were totally behind the Adopt-A-Tree project,” says a report from the meeting. “This past year the program was a huge success and enabled the community event to move faster into having an all LED light up.”

Instrumental in helping launch the project was Nanaimo Airport sponsoring the ‘total re-build’ of the Chuck Perrin Memorial Tree in Aggie Field. That helped push the Adopt-A-Tree initiative ‘way beyond’ the society’s plans.

The airport sponsored over 4,000 new-generation LED bulbs in the tree as well as a new topper. With this success to point to, the members of the FOL took the initiative to the public and had ‘huge success.’

“Almost 45 of the trees in downtown Ladysmith were adopted for the Light Up period, and the Festival had the opportunity to also light up those trees with the new-generation LED bulbs,” says the meeting report.

The new bulbs have five LED diodes and are much brighter. As well, they are virtually indestructible. “That in itself is a great savings for Light Up,” says the FOL report.

“One of the goals for 2016 is to have all the rest of the trees downtown done up in the same bulbs, and it is hoped that businesses as well as individuals who missed out last Light Up take advantage of the Adopt-A-Tree program this year.”

People who adopt a tree get to have their name on it, during Light Up for five years.

The FOL society is also gearing up with plans for its 30th Anniversary in 2017. Ideas for new decorations are being discussed, but the committee hopes the community will get inspired, and come up with ideas to make the 30th Light Up glitter in people’s memories for years to come.

Festival members have already installed ‘Easter’ lights in trees in the downtown core and will soon be putting lights in select trees along First Avenue for the ‘out of season’ light up.

“The members believe that having lights up during the year not only gives downtown a bright, inviting atmosphere in the evenings, when folks are out walking around,” said the report.

“As well it reminds residents and visitors alike that Ladysmith is the Light Up Capital of Canada.”

 

Anybody interested in helping out with the Festival can attend the meetings on the third Thursday of every month in the FOL building on Fourth Avenue right beside the cemetery.

 

 





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