Reflections: Bringing a little 'Christmas Sparkle' to Stratford

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Judging holiday lights and displays has been happening for a number of years in Stratford. In 1955, the Christmas Sparkle contest sponsored by the Beacon-Herald was open to every house and retail store in the city. An article that appeared in the Nov. 30, 1955, edition of the Stratford Beacon Herald explained how the contest would work.

“Stratford Is Town of Bright Lights

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Stratford hopes to be the brightest town in Ontario this Christmas

The Stratford Beacon-Herald has offered $200 in cash prizes for the nest decorated homes and retail stores in Stratford in a ‘Christmas Sparkle’ contest.

Mayor Wilfrid P. Gregory, Q.C., has endorsed the contest, and has said the ‘the winter with its early nights is always dark enough. Coloured decorations outdoors not only create a gayer Christmas atmosphere but also help to brighten the whole winter landscape.’ He has urged citizens to decorate their homes, and create ‘a wonderful festive atmosphere throughout the city.’

The Chamber of Commerce through its president, Lt.-Col. J. S. Whyte, has termed the contest, a ‘wonderfully progressive idea.’

Retail stores will be judged Dec. 14, and homes a week later on Dec. 21. The best decorated home will receive $25; with a second prize of $20; third $15 and four prizes of $10 each. A similar schedule applies to retail stores.

The rules are simple: Decorate the exterior of your home or store with gay Christmas symbols, scenes and lighting fixtures. Store window displays will be considered as exterior decorations. Prizes will be awarded on the basis of originality, design and expression of a Christmas theme.

A panel of six independent judges will select the winners of the ‘Sparkle’ contest: Mrs. K.B. Schlotzhauer, who is active in Stratford Art Society projects; H.H. Paul Johnston, manager of Bell Telephone Co. in Stratford; D.E. Mackinnon, superintendent, C.N.R. motive power shops; two Collegiate Institute students, Mill Jane Davis, president of the student’s council, and Jack Williams, all-star member of the senior football team; and Mrs. G.E. Mulholland, president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the International Association of Machinists, one of the largest women’s groups in the city.”

On Dec. 14, retail stores were asked to make sure that their windows and exterior displays were well lit for judging. The following week, on the night of Dec. 21, five cars toured the city, with judges looking at every one of the city’s 5,600 homes. It took more than four hours for them to see them all and then select a list of 16 finalists. That list was reduced to the seven winners. Winners were chosen on the basis of originality, design and expression of a Christmas theme.

And the winners were…

Stores:

• First prize – Peter Brothers, 12 Ontario St., for their “outstanding” originality and blending of several Christmas themes.
• Second prize – T.E. Eaton Co. Ltd., Downie Street. They had a large nativity scene in a display window and its lamp-posts on either side of the main door.
• Third prize – J. & M. Floor Coverings, 27 Market Place. They also had a nativity theme.

Four other prizes awarded, went to: Smith’s Grocery, 138 Nelson St.; Paul’s Beauty Salon, 125 Downie St.; Dorothy’s Delicatessen, 82 Wellington St.; and Wade’s Flowers, 17 Ontario St.

A large snowman dominated the window full of several Christmas themes at Smiths. A small nativity scene was displayed at Paul’s Beauty Salon. Dorothy’s used their own baking to design an attractive window. A large cake wished everyone a season’s best. Wade’s Flowers displayed large number of poinsettias.

Homes:

• First prize – 344 William St. This house won because it had a Christmas tree adorned with coloured lights and packages. They had a bright display of lights, holly and ribbons and a red-nosed reindeer that stood guard at the left of the door. You could also hear Christmas music playing softly.
• Second prize – 4 Arthur St., Avalon Park. The house had an elaborate and sparking display of Santa, reindeer and coloured lights.
• Third prize – 46 Mornington St. The house had a simple pair of candles artistically set at the doorway and supported by coloured lights in nearby evergreens.

Four other prizes awarded went to: 166 Norman St., which had a rooftop Santa and four reindeer and even a blinking red nose for Rudolph; 127 Nile St., which had an intricate and colorful nativity scene that filled a large window; 264 Cobourg St., which had a modern designed wooden Santa that galloped over the front door and a huge candy cane that rested against the side of the house; and 151 Avon St., which had the most original of all Stratford displays, a Santa’s factory with a moving belt carrying packages from Old Saint Nick standing on the rooftop to a cutter on the ground.

Mornington Street was chosen as the city’s brightest residential street for Christmas. William Street came in a close second. Mornington won out, because the color was closer together and the overall impact was greater.

Enjoy the brightness of the holiday season. We here at the Stratford-Perth Archives want to wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

The Stratford-Perth Archives is open for in-person research by appointment. Service by phone and email remains an option. Please contact us to set up appointments to use the collections or to meet with the archivist to discuss possible donations of archival material. We can be reached at 519-271-0531 ext. 259 or archives@perthcounty.ca.