Ladysmith & District Credit Union will play a pivotal role in the Festival of Lights for yet another year.
Once again the credit union is sponsoring the annual fireworks display taking place immediately following the conclusion of the parade on Light Up night.
"We've been sponsoring the fireworks for about five or six years now," said John de Leeuw, CEO of the credit union. "We used to donate money anyway but after BC Hydro pulled out on its sponsorship, somebody knocked on my door and here we are."
De Leeuw's first Festival of Lights was 18 years ago and he says it's a great way to "kick off the Christmas season."
"My oldest daughter, who's been here since she was four, went away to university one year and came back and said it didn't feel like Christmas to her because she wasn't here for Light Up night. It's a great showcase for our town and another opportunity for the credit union to prove itself as a credited corporate citizen of the town."
The sponsoring of the fireworks display is something the credit union retains as of utmost importance following regular talks at the boardroom level.
"We take our responsibility as a corporate citizen of Ladysmith very seriously," said de Leeuw. "If something is important to the community, then it's important to us. It's just the right thing to do (sponsoring the fireworks)."
De Leeuw recalls at his first festival there was around 20 floats in the parade, compared to last year which had "between 60 and 70."
The lights are turned on at 6:30 p.m. the night of Light Up with the parade beginning at 6:45 p.m.
Fireworks will be set off from Aggie Fields between 8-8:15 p.m. approximately.