Popular Christmas light display on Moncton's Elmwood Drive will return next year

A popular Christmas display will light up Moncton's Elmwood Drive again next year after being abruptly taken down before Christmas for the first time in more than 40 years.  

The owners of 1150 Elmwood Dr. decided to put an early wrap on the decorations after a man was injured trying to cross the street in front of their house to visit the well-known festive display.

The man had parked his vehicle near the Irishtown Nature Park, across Elmwood Drive from the display, and was struck crossing the road just before 6 p.m on Dec. 21, according to the RCMP.

The man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, said police.

Homeowner Diane Berube said this was the first incident of its kind in four decades and it left her feeling terrible.

Berube shut off the lights immediately after the accident and tore down her entire display the next day.

"Policemen told us it's not safe anymore so that's why we took them down this year," she said.

"For two days I was like a walking zombie," she said, recalling the evening.

Carla Flewelling of Moncton comes around every year to see the display and said she was surprised to see it taken down a couple of days before Christmas, unaware of the accident.

"Seemed kinda strange to have it gone," she said.

After hearing what happened, she said a lot of people park in the lot across the street from the property and cross to visit the display.

She said Elmwood Drive is a busy road and "most people didn't have anything reflective on and they were walking across. You had to be very careful when you came through," she added. 

Crews from the Moncton Fire Department first responded to the call and the acting platoon chief confirmed that the man was treated by paramedics and transported to the hospital.

RCMP Sgt. Sebastien Decaens said the investigation is ongoing.

No further information about the victim or the driver was provided by police.

Berube said this year was her 43rd season and prior to this, "nobody ever got close to being hit because they were allowed to park on this side, now they're not. They have to cross the street in the park to come on this side."

Decorations may return next year

Berube said it's dangerous to cross the road on Moncton's outskirts and she doesn't want anybody to get hurt because of her display.

She said many people from the community reached out to her after the incident and asked her to keep the annual decorations going, also telling her that it was not her fault.

She and her husband have been talking to the City of Moncton requesting a crosswalk with traffic lights to help control the traffic on the busy road, she said.  

She said she began decorating her yard for her mother who lived next door and over time it became a community event. Every year, the decorations went up after the Santa Claus parade in November and were taken down by the end of December.

She said all the decorations are handmade and she expanded her display over time.

"The reason I am at it is that we have all these kids, I have grown men, grown women, that will come at my door, crying, telling me that if it wasn't for these decorations at Christmas, some of them would have committed suicide a long time ago."

She said every season children show up at her door with change in little envelopes to help her pay for her lights. She said seniors also get dropped off by the bus to visit and take a walk on her lawn.

"That's the most wonderful present I could ever have ... It's my Christmas gift to all these people."

Berube said she doesn't want to quit and will resume the display next year, but it may not be in her front yard.

If the City won't install a crosswalk, Berube said she will decorate the land she owns behind her house and make a small parking lot on her side of the street, so people can still visit and walk around her property.

She said the display will be back in some form in 2024.

"I have a few acres in the back … I don't want to quit, but if I have no choice, I have no choice because somebody was hit and we don't want that to happen again."

CBC did not hear back from the City of Moncton before publication.