For the last fourteen years, Chris Arnott from Barrie, Ont., has used his haunted Halloween decor to delight residents and raise money for the regional cancer centre.
Dunnett’s Dark Lair at 59 Dunnett’s Dr., has become a Halloween tradition for hundreds of residents.
“This has been a labour of love to celebrate the holiday that started way back in 2008 with a couple of little tombstones and a fake skeleton, and it’s kind of grown into a community event,” Arnott told Global News.
The highly-anticipated Halloween display has also become a way for Arnott and visitors to give back, raising funds for the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre’s (RVH) Simcoe Muskoka Regional Cancer Centre.
Visiting the house is free, but guests are encouraged to make a donation in support of patient care either in person or online.
Arnot said his joy for Halloween started around the time he bought a house and grew into a hobby that involves going to trade shows and hunting for unique Halloween decor that is not normally found in regular stores.
For Arnot planning is year-round even, with ideas already in the works for next years display.
“So I usually start looking at adding new things somewhere around February or March, and then around the middle of September, I’ll start building a couple of little things here and there, but then it’s usually about three or four weeks before the actual holiday where I’ll start putting things out and mapping stuff out and figure out what goes where,” he said.
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His work has also been recognized abroad in the 2017 Home Haunters DVD Awards, and the Transworld Halloween & Attractions Show for “Best Home Haunt” in 2017 and 2012.
Arnott also won the Best Canadian Yard Haunt Award in 2019 and 2021, from the Canadian Haunter’s Association.
People wanting to check out all the Halloween fun can do so Saturday and Sunday from 7p.m. to 9 p.m. and on Halloween Monday from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
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