CAF Story | Garrison Petawawa’s Christmas Festival of Lights
Video / December 24, 2020
Transcript
(MW) I think they went out and bought like... They bought out Canadian Tire and Costco. "I want this aisle."
(AH) This Christmas is a bit of a different environment. We have COVID happening for the first Christmas and a lot of the events that we normally do here on base, unit 2 CER, we can't do as there are different restrictions that we've been given, so we try to find a creative way to still give families and soldiers the opportunity to celebrate the season together.
My name is Lt Andrew Havis and I'm a troop commander here at 2 CER.
(MW) Master Corporal Melissa Wiper. I am a Construction Technician here at 2 CER.
Normally, every year, we would have the regiment Christmas party, which is like a dinner and a dance. We would have the kids' Christmas party. I'm a born and raised army brat, as they call them, and these events were such a staple of my regular childhood, but I like the mentality that we always seem to have at the regiment, whether it's a field ex or a tradition, the word that always goes around is: "We'll make it work." And that's exactly what we're doing right now.
(AH) One of the units that has participated, the 2 Service Battalion, they kind of have a standing relationship with a charity called The Truckers Toy Drive and we said that we did kind of suit the event to collect gifts and food donations, money donations for that charity.
(MW) Every so many days, I get news down the grapevine. I'm like: "Oh, this unit joined on now! Oh, it's 14 units now." Wait a couple more days. Now, it's 16 units. It's just great to have like this joyful feeling around the guys.
(AH) Hum, I guess just being able to put up Christmas lights, it's a way to shine light in a bit of a dark time and that's what Christmas is all about at the end of the day.
(MW) I'm really happy. This is something that my daughter can participate. My older daughter can also participate. We're still no matter what keeping traditions alive. And actually, I'm hoping that maybe we just started a new tradition.