Cons help tear down lights

The lack of volunteers has created a dilemma for the Festival of Lights Society. This year, the Society had to look beyond the community for help to tear down the decorations and 300,000 Christmas lights that graced the town from Tim Hortons to Coronation Mall.

Under the supervision of a correctional officer, men from the Nanaimo Correctional Centre were in town last Wednesday dismantling lights and untying roof top decorations.

The Society hosted a work part on Sunday, but needed a few volunteers to get on the roofs and dismantle the lights so they could be easily removed on Sunday when the group had access to a couple of bucket trucks.

“This is the first time we’ve had to use this service,” said Duck Paterson with the Society. “There just isn’t enough volunteers. We had a couple men lined up, but they got jobs.”

Nanaimo Correctional Centre is a medium security facility that offers an in-house and community work program. Inmates who are classified a low security risk to the public are encouraged to participate in community work programs such as road side clean-ups.

“We get many requests from the community,” said Bruce Bannerman, spokesperson with B.C. Corrections Branch.

A work crew from the Correctional Centre helped spread gravel for the Kinsmens playground at Transfer beach a few years ago.

“It’s a great way for the men to give back to the community,” said Bannerman. “Works crews vary in size, but all crews are supervised.”

Paterson said he’s happy the Correctional Centre could help. With the lack of community volunteers, he is concerned about putting the lights back up next fall.

Volunteers work hard Sunday taking down thousands of Christmas lights.