The basement at the Masonic Lodge in Sundridge has been a busy place during December.
That’s where Ann Swallow of Strong Township has once again set up her mini-Christmas Village.
Spread across the 40 by 24-foot room on several display tables are about 450 houses, more than 2,000 little people, 27 trains, numerous cars, trees, and quite a few Santas.
This is the third occasion Swallow has created her miniature Christmas Village and the display continues to grow.
Swallow is constantly receiving Christmas figures, houses, and other miniatures from people who are downsizing knowing they’ll end up in a welcoming environment and bring joy to people.
As she’s done in the past, Swallow changes the layout “so the people who come back year after year will still find it interesting.”
The overall theme this year is The Nutcracker but the display also has trains running through small neighbourhoods, there’s also a trailer park and a candy village.
Swallow began planning the layout in April and once she was happy with where all the items were going to go, she set everything aside until just before Halloween.
That’s when the boxes containing all the miniatures came out of storage and Swallow, with help from her husband Jeff, their daughter and grandchildren started putting all the pieces in their allotted places.
The careful placements easily took a couple hundred hours and once the work was complete, the miniature village opened to the public on Dec. 5.
This year Swallow made copies of historical pictures of Sundridge and South River from the early 1900s and attached them to the Christmas buildings. The addition has been a hit.
“I’ve had people come in and see a picture of an old relative,” she said.
“I had one Sundridge woman, who is 90, say she remembers some of the specific houses.
"It’s been fun. People have loved it because it’s giving them a chance to talk about their memories.”
For other visitors, the early photos of both communities also serve as teachable moments including for Swallow.
“We have one image of a steamship on Lake Bernard and many people, including me, never knew that steamships travelled on the lake,” she said.
The miniature village certainly has a wow factor because first-time visitors have a preconceived notion of what to expect when they hear there’s a miniature Christmas Village in town.
“They’re thinking it’s like the small buildings your mother would have had on a fireplace,” Swallow said. “Until they walk in, they don’t realize just how big it is.”
Swallow managed to use just about every bit of space with this year’s layout.
She had three leftover buildings she couldn’t place anywhere because there was simply no room left.
Parts of the display are lit with miniature lights that Jeff Swallow painstakingly laid out and the wiring is hidden under the display.
Swallow says both adults and children have enjoyed the display.
“And the children are taking their time looking at the various buildings and people," Swallow said. “They’re not rushing.”
To add a bit more interest to the village, Swallow has created a scavenger hunt for the children.
“They’re given questions to look for certain things among the display and if they find everything, they get a small prize,” she said.
In addition, Swallow created a story about a Christmas troll gang that both youngsters and even adults have found engaging.
“There are four Christmas trolls who live in the village,” she said.
“Each night they knock down trees, steal candy canes and Christmas presents. They are hidden in the village and the kids have to find them. What I’m finding is that adults are also looking for them.”
Swallow says the Masonic Lodge has been very generous with its space.
The group is not charging her any rent or utility bills for use of the site and Swallow says it’s kept the parking lot clear of snow.
The admission to view the Christmas Village is a donation to the food banks in South River and Sundridge.
In the two-and-a-half weeks the display has been open to the public, Swallow says she’s collected about 200 pounds of food both organizations can share.
Swallow says the display is attracting residents not just from the Almaguin Highlands but also from North Bay to the north and Huntsville to the south.
The display is closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day but otherwise can be seen until Jan. 5.
That’s when the Swallows start dismantling all the pieces, carefully wrapping and storing them in their marked boxes until next year’s Christmas.
Swallow says it takes almost as long to take everything down as it does to set up the display.
She says as long as the public continues to enjoy the display, it’s her plan to keep putting it up every Christmas for as long as she can.
The Masonic Lodge is located at 43 Union Street and the display is accessible through the rear of the building.
Rocco Frangione is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter with Almaguin News. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
