Owners of beautiful homes in New West are opening their doors for the return of the Homes for the Holidays tour.
After a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic, the Queen’s Park Healthcare Volunteer Society is thrilled to present its 2022 Homes for the Holidays festive holiday tour on Sunday, Dec. 4 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. It’s done with the support of New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society, which organizes the homes and ticket sales for this annual event.
“It's a delightful way to begin the holiday season,” said Colleen McDonald, tour coordinator.
This year’s tour features six homes, including a stately 1885 Victorian in the Brow of the Hill neighbourhood, a sleek 1959 mid-century modern home in Massey Heights and a 1911 Arts and Crafts home in Queen’s Park. Irving House, a perennial favourite, is also on this year’s tour.
“They do a wonderful job. It's like something right out of Dickens,” McDonald said. “I guess you would call it Dickensian Christmas. They do the tree as if it were like it were 1856. And, of course, everybody's in period costumes.”
These year’s tour participants have been hard at work decorating their homes for the holiday season.
“I know they'll be spectacular,” McDonald said.
McDonald said the Queen’s Park Healthcare Volunteer Society raises money for initiatives that improve the quality of life for long- and short-term patients and rehabilitation programs at Queen’s Park Care Centre and the adjacent William Rudd House.
Initiatives supported by the society aren’t funded by Fraser Health, such as a music program that brings in musicians for weekly performances, a program for dementia patients and music therapy. The society also works to fund requests made by staff during the year.
“We do a Christmas giving event, which ensures that all the residents receive something meaningful at Christmas,” McDonald said. “And now, we're also funding the day program; we are funding the same thing for the participants in the day program at Queen's Park Care Centre.”
The Queen’s Park Healthcare Volunteer Society operates the Quintessential gift shop that’s located in the lobby of Queen’s Park Care Centre.
Items from the shop have been available for sale in some of the homes on the tour in past years, but that’s not happening this year. Instead, tour goers will get a 15 per cent discount, until Dec. 24, when they present their ticket guidebook at the gift shop.
McDonald said the gift shop, located at 325 McBride Blvd., has all sorts of unique Christmas ornaments and table décor, as well as gift items.
“Lots of fun stocking stuffers,” said McDonald, the store’s coordinator/buyer. “We also have cozy slippers, toques, gloves. All kinds of little gifts that people can give for Christmas that are not overly expensive.”
Because the shop has sporadic hours at this time due to a shortage of volunteers, shoppers should call 604-520-0911, extension 522722, to confirm the shop is open.
Tickets for the Homes for the Holidays tour are $30, and come with a brochure that features a map and addresses to the six homes on this year’s tour.
A limited number of tickets are available for the tour. You can buy them online at www.NewWestHeritage.org or at Royal City Colours, 700 12th St.
