An eye-catching spooktacular has already blown up in one corner of Calgary and it hopes to help fight the forces of inflation.
Darcy Dupuis has filled his yard in the Evergreen neighbourhood in the city’s southwest with almost 75 Halloween inflatable figures.
“The warlocks, the goblins, the witches,” Dupuis said.
Neighbours are impressed by the collection.
“Oh my goodness – that’s amazing,” Carol Van Aert said.
Dupuis invites people who plan to check out the display to bring along donations to the Calgary Food Bank.
Dupuis said he’s doing it because of the struggles many are now going through.
“With inflation and interest rates, it’s hurting a lot of people,” Dupuis said.
Abbi O’Flynn was among people putting food in the donation boxes that Dupuis has put out.
“Beans and macaroni and cheese, and soup,” O’Flynn said. “There are a lot of people in the city that are struggling.”
Dupuis has been running his Halloween food drive for the past 20 years, except for a couple of missed years early in the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve been in oil and gas since 1980, and there’ve been ups and downs,” Dupuis said. “Many times that people get laid off, they have mortgages and they can’t pay them.”
Randy Mein brought a bag filled with several food items to support Dupuis’ effort.
“I think it’s a great thing that he’s doing,” Mein said.
Dupuis will be welcoming visitors to his display daily right through to Halloween night at 4 Evergreen Square Southwest.
“To put some food on people’s plates,” Dupuis said. ‘Whatever I can do to help, that’s what we’re here for.”