I think of November as the “in-between” month. For me, I take a small sigh that halloween is over, but most of the December holiday prep has not yet begun. This year it has been very busy for real estate and also for giving back to our amazing east end community.

Often, when we are called in to see a house, no matter what time of year it is, the first thing people want to talk about is Light Up The Beach.

Everyone has an idea or a theory about the lights and the event. Lots of people think that DeClute real estate is the sponsor of the lights. Some people think that the city puts up the lights and we host the first evening event when Santa lights the trees, one by one. The truth is —  from start to finish — DeClute does it all. From purchasing the lights, getting the necessary permits to host the event in the park, renting and operating the lifts, hanging all the lights, and finally organizing and hosting the actual night when Santa lights the trees for the holiday season, it’s all done in house by us. (By the way, this year that date is Nov 30th at 7:00 pm., and we begin, as always, at the foot of Leuty Ave in the Boardwalk.)

Each year we have tweaked and improved the system. We apply for our city permits way before the process begins. We know that it takes at least 30 days with two cranes and a crew of four people to hang 20,000 linear feet of lights in 10 trees. There are some spectacular, beautiful days in October and November to be working 50-65 feet above the Boardwalk in those majestic trees. There are also some dark, blustery, very cold and wet days. We rent the cranes and hire the staff again to take all the lights down before the end of February, and for sure the days then will be very cold, windy and dark. After we get the lights all down we have to clean them and take stock. We sort and replace all the lights that the squirrels have chewed. We typically replace about 20,000 lights a year. We carefully remove all of the electrical tape and then we store the 80,000 lights, extension cords and equipment until we start all over again next year.

We ask for donations to the Michael Garron hospital foundation and we look after 100% of all of the costs related to Light Up The Beach. Most of us have been touched by mental health and addiction. Most of us see marginalized people in our community and wish we could help but are not sure how to be involved. Michael Garron hospital (formerly Toronto East General) provides support in our community through a variety of programs both inside and outside of the hospital.

If you wish to give, you can do so at www.LightUpTheBeach.com

We look forward to seeing you all on November 30th at 7:00 pm on the Boardwalk at the foot of Leuty Ave. Make sure you say hi, take lots of photos, and enjoy the lights as much as we do.