Inside the 'epicenter of Halloween' in one London neighbourhood

Everything changed, neighbours say, when Lisa Gaverluk moved onto the street.

Now Baker Street in Old South is known as the "epicenter of Halloween," according to neighbour Wally Graeme, with over 500 kids crisscrossing the street on Halloween to be scared by ghouls and goblins to go with their candy haul.

Nearly 11 years ago, Gaverluk, who said she was always a fan of Halloween, moved into 498 Baker St., and became a self-professed fanatic.

"Every day is Halloween around here," she tells CBC News.

She doesn't just have the best Halloween display on the block. Halloween lives inside her home too. Take a walk through her front door and you're greeted by a spooky fireplace mantle while skeletons sit casually on her living room chairs. Her Siamese cat adds to the ambiance.

Gaverluk was the first on the block to display a giant skeleton on her front lawn, and several neighbours have since followed suit.

But things really got started when Gaverluk found some wood and found a way to repurpose it into a coffin.  

"It was a serendipitous moment," she said, adding she used to live downtown and couldn't put decorations on display out of fear they'd get stolen. "My brain lit up like a Christmas tree but only for Halloween."

Her first Halloween as a resident on Baker she greeted 238 children trick or treating at her door.

As her display increased, so too did the count.

"We've been lucky because the weather has been epic for the last eight or nine years," she said. "If we had rain, we wouldn't be as successful. It's taken on a life of its own."

After the coffin, it became a challenge for Gaverluk to decide on what to make next. She doesn't buy very much from stores because she'd rather make her decorations from scratch.

"[It's about] looking for ideas, gathering supplies and challenging my own skill set as to what I can make and put together."

Gaverluk describes her Halloween style as old school and vintage. She's into witches, black cats and ghosts, staying away from anything too scary.

"It's about the chills and thrills, not blood and gore," she said. "When you come on Halloween, it really is what it's like in the movies. It's so nice to see so many people in the community benefit from it."

Neighbourhood spirit

Cristin Bowie has lived at 490 Baker since 2009 and has her own spooky display.

For many years she hosted a special Halloween dinner for the children who lived on the street.

Ribs were made to look like they came from a skeleton. Mashed potatoes looked like ghosts. Her meals were so convincing that, "sometimes they wouldn't eat some of the foods," she said. "It was something fun for them to do before they go trick or treating."

It's so busy on Baker street with children on Halloween that the neighbours should consider asking the city to shut the street down for the evening, said Bowie.

Graeme lives at 488 Baker. He's lived there since 2012 and credits Gaverluk for getting the neighbours in the Halloween spirit.

"It's crazy as of 5:30 p.m., even before it's dark, and it's extremely busy until 8:30 p.m. It's a block party."

The Halloween lights that are displayed on the street are a nice transition of the season, especially as it gets darker earlier, said Graeme.

"It's a rite of passage for fall," he said, adding he's bought 1,200 pieces of candy in anticipation of giving our two to three pieces to each child.

"Nobody I know gets that many kids."

After Halloween, Graeme said he waits a few weeks before starting what he calls "Santa Row."

"It's usually mid-November because again, the kids love it."

Graeme's home office faces the street and he loves to watch kindergarten classes from nearby schools come by to count the Santas lined up down the street.

"It's just so charming. It makes me happy."