Dear Editor:
Over the past couple of years, on the Summerland Hometown Memories Facebook Page many comments were made regarding the absence of the nativity set at the Alex Steven house.
Thanks to Rick Selinger for starting the Facebook page and giving everyone a place to share photos and give voice to memories, allowing people to comment, on this tradition in particular.
And thank you to all who commented.
Thanks to Rev. Elaine Diggle for allowing this annual tradition to once again take place on her lawn overlooking Main Street.
Thank you to Connie Davis and Judy McLaughlin for having the foresight to rescue the set in 2007.
I understand it was literally on its way to landfill as it had fallen into disrepair.
The Alliance Church had repaired and replicated some pieces and the set was put up outside the Church in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011.
To avoid further damage and deterioration, pieces were selectively used indoors during the succeeding Christmas Seasons.
Thank you to Ray and Connie Davis, Pastor Rick Gay and the congregation of the Alliance Church for allowing the set to once again shine down on Summerland.
They have also offered to continue to annually set up the display.
Thank you to Robert Silliphant for his help in transporting the original pieces.
Thank you to Toni Boot for all her coordinating and networking to ensure this display would happen.
She also spent time with the Art Club working on the pieces.
And she transported the finished pieces to the display sight.
A huge thanks to Nick Kast for cutting out all new pieces for the set.
This year we had four new pieces and by next year we hope to have a complete new set.
And a tremendous thanks to Summerland Builders Mart and Ken Sewell for the generous donation of materials for this project. They donated all the wood for the new set.
Thank you to the Art Club who undertook painting of the new set. Members of the Art Club were involved, with the municipality, for producing the original set-up in the early or mid-1950s.
The Summerland Review has published articles about this over the years.
Current members of the Art Club, under the guidance of President Maureen King, have spent hours and hours sanding and painting.
Many members put in many extra hours to help get this project ready for Festival of Lights.
Some donated supplies as well.
Thank you to the set-up crew, including Ray and Connie Davis for help in bracing and securing the pieces and organizing the lighting.
Thank you to Connie Davis who volunteered to manually plug in the set to coordinate with the 7 p.m. street lighting.
And a huge thank you to all who contributed financially to this project.
I encourage everyone to check-out the Summerland Hometown Memories Facebook Page. Just type Nativity in the search bar.
At this point four new pieces have been created.
There are 10 more pieces to hopefully be completed for next year and a GoFundMe account has been set up.
If you would like to contribute to this venture, all donations will be very much appreciated.
Donation containers have also been placed at the Summerland Credit Union and Your Dollar Store With More.
It has been a pleasure to work with an amazing group of people towards having the nativity scene restored to its former glory.
Dorothy Inglis
Summerland
