Let holiday lights shine even brighter

When you live in a city dayto-day, it may seem to crawl its way to a brighter future at a glacial place. But, if you’re a Windsorite who comes home only for the holidays, as I now do, you experience Windsor’s controversies and changes at a much more accelerated rate.

This season’s controversy seems to be the recent addition of the Bright Lights initiative in Jackson Park. The dinner table controversy that surrounded this event was vehement, leading me to believe that the program was needlessly draining Windsor’s tax dollars from other much more important city projects. However, my experience of the Bright Lights festival strengthened my belief in the program’s value and importance.

At a time of year when finances are lowest and depression is highest, the Bright Lights program offers much needed relief, light and play to the citizens of Windsor. I found the festival enchanting, joyous and even magical — a local substitute for my family’s traditional stroll around the Bronner’s Christmas Wonderland in Frankenmuth, Mich. I was uplifted by the twinkling lights, the enormous Christmas tree concert, the children running and squealing down the pathways, the flying snowballs, the mass of strollers and wheelchairs zigzagging through the snowy paths, which signalled that this event was fully accessible to all persons in a way many other events are not.

They say that this program will cost even more money next year when it is expanded. Good, I say! I propose additions, including charitable organization tents or carts with cups of hot chocolate or cider and treats. Why not add a food bank depository? If every person attending the Bright Lights festival brought one can each, think of the good we could continue to do for our city. After all, isn’t that what the holidays are really about? Irene Velentzas, Windsor