SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — “They would love to see a Santa on the roof.”
That was the request that sent Nick Cameron and his husband, Richard Rogers, on a quest to bring a bit of holiday cheer to the residents of Wedgwood Manor long-term care home.
“It’s been a little overwhelming,” said Cameron.
But he added, “It’s 2020 – if there was ever a year to be a little extra and do something more, it’s this year.”
He and Rogers have found themselves on the receiving end of a lot of donated Christmas decorations, after their plea for a light-up outdoor Santa Claus took off on social media.
The couple purchased their home on Brophy Street two years ago and their house is within view of one of the manor's common areas.
On Nov. 23, they put up their outdoor Christmas lights and shortly thereafter got a message from one of Rogers’ colleagues, Candy Beaton, the recreation manager for Wedgewood.
Rogers is a resident care worker at the manor. Beaton told him several manor residents were enjoying his light display, but there had been comment that it needed a Santa Claus.
Having none, Cameron put out a request on social media, which mentioned that it was for the benefit of the manor residents. The post was quickly shared hundreds of times and prompted a lot of people to reach out in the hope that donating items would help light up Christmas for the manor residents.
Hello Facebook world, I am looking for some help. We live across the street from a long term care facility and the...
Posted by Nick Cameron on Sunday, 22 November 2020
The couple received angels, toy soldiers, giant Merry Christmas signs and several Santas, among other things.
They decided to take their unexcepted windfall and gradually add items weekly to the display, leading up to Christmas.
Blaine Sonier, 61, is a relatively new resident of the manor and this will be his first Christmas there.
The display has helped make the place feel more festive in what has been a difficult year for everyone, said Sonier.
Christmas is going to be tough, he said, because those who have families can't be with them and those who don't can't get out much to do what they can.
“It really didn’t look like Christmas until (Rogers) went out and started decorating a little bit,” he said.
He added that he's looking forward to seeing how the display evolves leading up to Christmas Eve.
"We’re all looking forward to it,” he said. “It makes for a better Christmas and I’m so grateful for him to take the time. It’s wonderful.”
Beaton added, “It’s something (the residents) look forward to every day. At 5 or 6 p.m. we turn the lights off in the front area and we wait for their lights to come on.”
All the extra donations are more than they bargained for, said Cameron, but it’s a good opportunity to do something nice for the manor residents.
“It is a little extra work, but we really don’t mind. We like Christmas and we like to decorate,” said Cameron “And I feel like … you always think about kids at Christmas, you never really think about the seniors, but they are just like everybody else, they want something to look forward to. Especially this year, they’ve been stuck inside with very few visitors allowed in.”
Rogers said he’s been letting the residents know that they should keep an eye on the window for new additions to the display.
“There’s a lot of excitement going on, we’re kind of the talk of the manor right now,” he said. “It’s nice to see them looking forward to something because for the better part of the year no one was really looking forward to anything.”
Colin MacLean is the municipal reporter for the Journal Pioneer.
