After starting the tradition nearly a decade ago, this Christmas nearly marked the first time that Robert Boychuk decided not to put up his family’s massive Christmas display at their property just west of Clyde along Highway 18.
“I said I wasn’t going to do it this year, because I was … so busy at work,” Robert said.
However, the temptation not to put up the display — which includes incandescent reindeer, glowing flamingos and palm trees, inflatable nutcrackers and innumerable strings of sparkling lights — was just too strong.
“Next thing you know, I’m back doing it again,” Robert said with a laugh.
The Boychuk family — which includes Robert, his wife Michelle and their children Caitlyn, Cheyanne, Chelsea and Chiara — started doing the display back in 2008.
Prior to that, they used to put a float in for the Christmas parade in Thorhild, but they decided the hours spent decorating were better invested in a more permanent display.
The display started going up about a month ago, and even as of last Wednesday, the Boychuks were still putting up some lights.
Robert can’t even say how many lights are in the display, though it must range in the thousands.
Notably, some of the lights are made by Robert and his workers at his metal shop.
For instance, you might see some swirling candy cane lights on the west end of his property.
“You can’t buy those. That’s the stuff we made in our shop,” Robert notes.
Another feature of the display is a huge gingerbread castle made from sheet metal with the words “Merry Christmas” decorating its front. Robert said the castle was also made in his shop and was based on an image from a kids’ colouring book.
The structure helps enclose two inflatable nutcrackers which nearly blew over last year due to high winds.
As the Boychuk property is right next to the highway, there are many people who stop by for a look, pausing either on the side road running by the property or pulling into their driveway. It’s become a big thing for the community, Robert notes.
“We get a lot of comments and people stop by and ask if they can walk through the yard. We try to oblige everybody,” Robert said in a past interview with the Westlock News.
