The Turcotte family extravaganza holiday display returns for final year – looking back

Driving down Stittsville Main Street south and looking to the East, there is a halo of light in the night sky. What is it you ask? Well, its a beacon of 7,500 incandescent bulbs that light up the neighbourhood around Cypress Gardens – much brighter than the original 1,500! The Turcotte family displays have been a cheerful road trip since 2020 for the thousands who visited from all over Eastern Ontario and further to be entertained every year.

The Turcotte family – Shawn, Chantelle, Hudson and Kennedy – want their front yard to bring that same feeling of cheer to continue for their last year. With both Hudson and Kennedy being away at school when Christmas returns in 2025, it takes a lot of planning and work that Shawn wouldn’t be able to do without the help from his children.

This year the display is “larger and brighter” Shawn says, “with three movie-themed setups – National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Grinch and Die Hard. The display is so large it spills into our neighbour’s yard.” Yes, they are finally bringing Die Hard to the stage.

It is not only about the displays, the Turcotte family have each year supported a cause close to their heart, be it CHEO or the Stittsville Food Bank, the family has raised thousands. With over $175,000 raised, Shawn shared, “it’s our fifth and final year – over $175k raised to date for both CHEO and the Stittsville Food bank and we’re still going! The display will be on ’til end of day January 1st. We’re so grateful and appreciative of the people who have come by, enjoyed our displays and donated over the past five years!”

For Stittsville Central, in 2020 it was the sight of that large tree enveloping the Griswold station wagon going down Stittsville Main – we knew something was up. Shawn told us, “It was that first pic you posted from Stittsville Main that started it all!”

A year in planning that first display, Christmas Vacation was inspired by daughter Kennedy. It was well worth the wait and uplifted the community during a challenging year of Covid. That first year, the family raised $21,000 with Mattamy Homes matching the amount for a total of $42,000 along with 2,000 pounds of non-perishable food being donated to the Stittsville Food Bank.

2021 saw the Turcotte family bring Home Alone to their yard. How was this decision made? Shawn shared, “Hudson and Kennedy, know Home Alone inside out, so it was an easy decision that Home Alone it would be – besides Kennedy was adamant and that finalized the deal!” That year, they supported CHEO with donations being raised for youth mental health services. They were able to donate $67,000 thanks to the generosity of the community.

The family went totally ‘Elf’ in 2022, with the largest display yet – expanding even further into a neighbour’s yard with a painted wooden sixteen foot Empire State Building and brighter with 4,000 lights adorning the property. It was a survey on Twitter asking which of these themes would the public want – Die Hard, The Grinch or Elf. The response was great and Elf easily beat out the other two. The display was decided. Ottawa’s Lego group, ParLUGment, even spent two weeks creating the New York City skyline with 22,000 Lego blocks for the display. The family again supported CHEO, donating over $25,000.

In 2023, the return of Christmas Vacation (Take 2) and 5,000 dazzling lights brought the display to life. Shawn also had to upgrade his electrical panel to accommodate the lights! The display was so popular in 2020, with about 1,000 people taking in the display nightly, that the family felt it should be brought back for the movie’s 34th anniversary release, but with all newly created props. Supporting the Stittsville Food Bank, the family was able to donate over $32,000 thanks to the generosity those who donated.

Shawn reminisced, “We have now raised over $175,000 for both CHEO and the Stittsville Food bank over the last four Christmas’s – amazing considering we started with an old station wagon and a tree!”

Shawn shared, “Thank you for all your support over the years!”

For the Turcotte family it has been much more than the display, it was having fun, bringing the community together to lift spirits and being able to do some good by raising funds. Thank you for your incredible holiday displays that unbridled our memories over these past five years – they will be greatly missed.

The display runs from December 1, 2024 until end of day on January 1, 2025 at the Turcotte home, 18 Cypress Gardens here in Stittsville. Shawn shares, “come by and see our display and if possible make a donation to CHEO. You may scan our QR code sign, donate directly to our CHEO fundraiser page or make a cash donation”.

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