THUNDER BAY — When Christmas approaches, the executive-director of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association steels herself for lots of inquiries from folks looking for help with their holiday lighting.
It's because people mistake the organization's acronym for the popular Noma Christmas light brand.
The municipal association's Thunder Bay office typically receives phone calls and emails from across Canada from individuals who believe they're contacting the lighting product manufacturer.
For some reason, this year has been exceptionally busier than usual.
"The calls started quicker than they usually do, and the volume's a lot higher," says Kristen Oliver, the Thunder Bay city councillor who also serves as NOMA's executive-director.
"On the weekend alone, between emails and phone calls, I'd say I heard from about forty different people," Oliver said in an interview this week.
Most of the inquiries are what one would expect a Christmas light manufacturer to receive.
Oliver said one woman wrote that she had set up her tree, only to find a transformer required to operate the lights was missing.
"She was emailing me to find out what kind of transformer she would need to get her lights to work. I also get lots of calls about the projection lights that shine on the outside of your house. Sometimes they freeze up. I hear a lot about that," Oliver said.
She said she replies to let these individuals know the NOMA they've reached out to isn't in the lighting business, and usually suggests they contact the store they bought the product from.
But one woman, from British Columbia, had a problem Oliver felt she had to take on herself.
"She had a Noma thermostat. She was renting an apartment, didn't have any heat, and the landlord didn't want to help. So she phoned me to see if we would warranty the thermostat."
When Oliver informed her she had reached the wrong office, the woman became upset, saying she had a six-month-old baby and was heating her place by keeping the oven door open.
"I contacted a couple of heating and cooling companies in her home town, and somebody did go there to fix it up so she had heat again," Oliver said. "I just couldn't leave her hanging."
The woman called her back later, in tears, to express how grateful she was that someone halfway across the country was there to support her in her time of need.
Aside from a serious situation such as that one, Oliver said, she finds it amusing that people Google "Noma" and phone or email her office believing she'll have the answer to their electrical issues.
She's patient with all of them, however.
"I really don't mind it. I've had great conversations with many Canadians as a result of this mix-up. People are incredibly gracious."
