If you’re driving by the corner of de Choisy and Saint-Zotique streets in Saint-Leonard, you will likely be blinded by the lights. More than one million to be precise.
They’re all displayed in and around the home of Mike Cecere, a local businessman with a drive to give back.
“It takes about 200 hours,” said Cecere, who mounts the lights with his friend Pierre Quenneville.
Quenneville, a painter by trade, says he offered his help to Cecere 19 years ago, promising to donate one day of his time to the cause every year.
But as the display and the number of lights grew, so did his commitment.
“It’s a passion,” Quenneville said. “One day became one week, one week became one month and now I’m in the story.”
Throughout the years Quenneville has not only helped install the lights, but he has also doubled as an elf and as Santa Claus.
He personally replies to the hundreds of letters to Santa children leave in a special mailbox set up outside the house.
“Written by hand and answered exactly the way they talked to me,” Quenneville said. “It makes the difference.”
Their efforts are noticed. The pair calculates between 20 to 30,000 people visit during the season. Some come from as far as the United States.
Cecere says buses full of seniors visit. But one particular visit stands out.
Cecere said yes and asked how she was doing but didn’t expect the answer he received. “She passed away. You made her dream come true,” Cecere says he was told by her sister.
“It touched us both, it really got us emotional,” Cecere said.
Both Cecere and Quenneville say it’s giving that type of joy why they give their time and effort.
For Cecere, it’s also about fulfilling a promise that he made as a child.
“My parents immigrated from Italy and it was tough. The most important thing was to put food on the table and sending us to school,” Cecere explained. “I made a promise to myself that if I’m successful in life I will give to the kids because no kids should be alone or nobody should be alone on Christmas time, it’s an important time of the year.”
Both Quenneville and Cecere say they will continue to put on the display until they are no longer able to.
“It encourages us every year to keep growing and to give more; that’s what Christmas is all about, giving,” Cecere says.
The display is on seven days a week. Mrs. Claus will be paying a special visit on Saturday December 17th as of 4:00 p.m.