The rain did not dampen the ardor of the superheroes, witches and vampires Sunday night, who roamed the streets of Montreal in search of candy. Redoubling their originality, young and old alike have adapted to the second Halloween party in times of pandemic.
The streets of Plateau Mont-Royal came alive from the start of the evening. Many houses were decorated with pumpkins and multicolored lights.
Dozens of young people stopped in front of Edmond Boileau’s home. Accompanied by his children Lucie, Jules and Madeleine, he gave sweets from the top of his porch, using a basket suspended at the end of a rope.
“We’ve been waiting for months that evening,” says the father, behind a bird mask. He explains that he developed his candy distribution system last year, due to the pandemic.
In the same area, Andy Marcotte stayed outside after his shift at Les Tailleurs hairdressers to give some candy to the costumed children. “It’s a very residential area here, there are still a lot of [personnes] who decorated, ”he says.
A little further on, two couples of neighbors have erected a marquee on the sidewalk in order to distribute treats, sheltered from the rain. “We’re having fun, our child’s heart is coming back,” says Jeanne Audette, all smiles.
She offered individually prepared bags to children, and, being vaccinated, she was not afraid of contracting COVID-19. “The contact is not long anyway,” she said. Joëlle Richard was handing out candy by his side. “We love it,” she recalls, saying that the Halloween party is a real tradition for her family.
Guidelines and creativity
The Department of Health and Social Services had disclosed recommendations regarding the conduct of Halloween. A distance of 1 m between people should be respected as far as possible. It was also recommended to “refrain from singing or shouting in front of the people who give the treats”.
Hand washing before and after collecting candy was recommended. The distribution of treats in individual bags was also to be favored to reduce contact.
Other Montrealers have been creative, this time to transform their alley for Halloween. Under a marquee, whitish smoke billowed from a small machine, and eerie-looking pumpkins cast the light from small paper lanterns. Parents distributed sweets there.
“We have a Facebook group for the alley,” explains Alain Duchesne. “People are being asked to remove their cars. People have been participating for about four years. For children, it is safer than walking on sidewalks and crossing the street, ”he continues.
This alley in the Plateau Mont-Royal is popular with Halloween enthusiasts. Martine Trudel and her twins, Kellyan and Isaac Trudel, who live in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve area, came there specially. “We come every year, we are never disappointed,” says the mother.
“More lively than last year”
According to Jill De Coninck, Halloween night is “more lively than last year,” she told Press, while his son Nile filled his bag with candy.
Francine and Rénald Gascon’s house was decorated from floor to roof. Ghosts and inflatable pumpkins surrounded the driveway leading to the entrance, and orange string lights adorned the building. The couple have been recognized in the neighborhood for the past fifteen years for the decorations of their house.
“We made about 350 bags” of candy, explains Mr. Gascon, wearing a pirate hat. At the passage of Pressby 6:30 p.m., more than half had already passed.
The couple are not the only ones with a reputation for their original decorations. In the De Lorimier park area, a canoe had been hung from a balcony. Two people in checkered shirts were there, throwing candy into the children’s bags. A false small forest had been laid out on the ground, so as to reproduce the mythical scene of the tale The hunt-gallery.
” There is [des gens] who have already come to tell us: “We came for that and you didn’t do it”, ”says Jean-François Boyer. This year he and his wife, Virginie, decided to recreate their popular decoration. “The neighbors across the way told us: ‘Finally, you put it back!’ “