Like elves in Santa’s workshop, the Northumberland Hills Hospital will have a new display this year in the Christmas Courtyard.
Jim Maguire, Andrew Weldon, Bas DeMattos and Dave Cromlish have been working on the display at the Maguire home since the beginning of September.
Cromlish has been previously on the Northumberland Hills Hospital Foundation Board has helped with decorating the courtyard for approximately nine years.
“Over the course of the years, we’ve been putting up Christmas lights and ornaments, but some of the stuff has been worn out,” said Cromlish.
Some of the display items even came from the former hospital on Chapel Street in Cobourg.
But most of the items are getting worn out or have broken.
Cromlish admits one year where he made a mistake of having Christmas inflatables, but “they didn’t last long with the twigs and branches out in the court yard.”
“Instead of the nice, festive scene it looked like a triage unit because they were all deflated.”
Meeting with the NHH Foundation staff around August, and conversing with Cromlish’s brother-in-law Maguire who is a artist and carpenter they decided on making a Gingerbread Village.
“This year marks the 15th year the hospital has been open and they wanted to “spruce it up.”
“We wanted to make it more pleasing for people who have to be at the hospital over the Christmas season.”
With Maguire having the artistic and carpentry skills, Cromlish describes him as the “visionary or lead engineer” along with Weldon having carpentry skills he is the “second engineer,” DeMattos helped out with the painting and sanding, Cromlish admitted he gets told where to hold the glue he says with a laugh as the group has lunch around the Maguire kitchen table where the daily meals have been graciously supplied by Jim’s wife, Nancy.
On Friday the group were painting and putting the finishing touches on the items. As it rained heavily outside, three members of the group worked like elves in Santa’s workshop painting several of the items that will be on display including a church, candy shop, candy canes, cupcakes, train among many other items
Originally Maguire had just planned to put up the facades of buildings, but after speaking with someone who was in the hospital over Christmas he decided to construct the entire buildings.
A father told him his son was in the hospital over Christmas.
“So all of a sudden it took on a whole new meaning and we have to do something extra.”
The group has been working daily sometimes up to 10 hours a day since September 1.
With help from Northumberland Hills Hospital staff the Northumberland Hills Hospital Christmas Courtyard will be unveiled on November 14 after the Foundation Board meeting.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
