There is talk among coworkers about what this year’s festive bash will entail, the weather is getting significantly cooler and crisper, and it has become near impossible to walk down a supermarket aisle without eyeing tinselled home decor or a gingerbread flavoured food item.
Love it or loathe it, Christmas is very much just around the corner.
In fact, as of next Friday, Nov. 17, Christmas will have officially kicked off as far as the more festive among us are concerned. Canyon Lights, the annual lighting spectacle to take over the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, will have begun.
Every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m until January, multi-coloured twinkling lights will illuminate the iconic Capilano Suspension Bridge. Annual visitors can keep their eyes peeled for the newest light installation to join the line-up, while revelling in the return of the glittery Treetops Adventure and the twinkling “Arc de Lumina” Cliffwalk pathway.
As always, brimming cups of hot chocolate will be handed out and seasonal hits will be filling the air to truly ramp up the festive mood.
Hoping to secure some Christmas presents nice and early this year? Be sure to check out the cozy Trading Post Gift Store, crowd pleasing stocking fillers are in abundance.
Both a fun, Christmastime endeavour and a charitable one, Canyon Lights will be supporting the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Burn Fund for another year, with partial proceeds from admissions donated to support fire and burn education in schools throughout British Columbia, in addition to Burn Camp.
For anyone feeling especially generous, the District of North Vancouver Fire Fighters Charitable Society will be onsite again this year to help collect donations from the public on behalf of the Burn Fund.
To date, the winter wonderland has allowed Capilano to donate more than $450,000 to this cause.
Canyon Lights
When: Nov. 17-Jan. 21 (closed Dec. 25)
Where: Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, 3735 Capilano Rd., North Vancouver
Tickets: Purchase in advance online. Visits are scheduled in 30-minute arrival increments. Don’t forget, BC Annual Passholders need to reserve their entry time online prior to every visit.
Mina Kerr-Lazenby is the North Shore News’ Indigenous and civic affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
