THUNDER BAY - The night sky was lit up in spectacular fashion as Fort William Historical Park ignited the holiday season.
This weekend, Fort William Historical Park hosted Ignite the Fort to celebrate the holiday season and support the United Way.
The two-day event, sponsored by Ontario 150, included seasonal activities such as sleigh rides, toy and candle making, and decorating Christmas cookies.
But the highlight of the festival was the tree lighting ceremony, held each night in the main square. Fireworks lit up the night as the tree came to life in a variety of different colours. And a little heat helped on the cold nights.
“It’s great and everybody is dressed properly, which is nice to see and the kids are happy,” said Sandei Beattie, manager of business and enterprise service with Fort William Historical Park. “They love it. It’s amazing how much frosting kids can put on a cookie. And luckily the wind has died down.”
People were also invited to purchase a Christmas tree ornament to be added to the tree, with all money raised going to the United Way.
Corinna Lapointe was there for the tree lighting on Sunday with her grandchildren, Makynlee and Kaleb.
“I thought it would be a great idea to bring the grandkids out and have some fun,” she said.
Lapointe and the kids spent the evening making toys and candles, going on a sleigh ride, and decorating cookies.
“It’s just something fun to do with the family and get out of the house for a little while,” she said.
Ignite the Fort was funded by the province of Ontario in celebration of province’s 150th anniversary but Beattie said similar events could be held in the future.
“This is the first year and we’ve had great attendance from the local community and we will see going forward,” she said.
