The sounds of Christmas can be heard ringing through the downtown in Sydney, N.S.
Some people hear the bells chiming and wonder who is behind it. However, 1.5 million Facebook users know exactly who is making the holiday magic.
Every day, Glenda Watt climbs the bell tower in the former St. Andrew’s United Church to play carols.
“I tend to forget that there are people out there listening,” says Watt. “I'm in my own little world up here, dancing, and singing, and clapping along.”
Watts has been making the bells ring for the past two Christmas seasons, with the entire downtown as her audience. She grew up pulling the levers as a teenager attending the church.
“I get a lot of messages from people who have maybe lost a parent, or lost a grandparent, and I've played their favourite Christmas song,” says Watt. “So they pull their car over, sit in the car, and tear up.”
People at a downtown bakery say hearing the music fill the air has people feeling festive.
“Just the cheer of the Christmas bells being rang when people are downtown, it makes it feel more spirited,” says bakery co-owner Patrick Sullivan.
“It makes us feel uplifted, you know, in the Christmas spirit,” says resident Carmella St. Denis.
In fact, Watt's work is getting people all over the world into the Christmas spirit.
She uploaded a video of herself playing a carol on Facebook last week and it has since gone viral, with more than 1.5 million views.
“My friend started joking, ‘let's take a bet on when she's gonna reach a million,’ and I said ‘a million people don't want to see this,’ 1.5 million later, it's still being shared,” says Watts.
Each time she climbs into the bell tower, Watt says she is hoping to make someone happy.
“I'm just up here having fun, but I'm touching hearts as well, so it's a win-win.”
Watt says she will keep the bells ringing most, if not every, day until Christmas.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
