For many Maritimers, listening to a Christmas album by Cape Breton’s Rita MacNeil is a big part of their holiday tradition.
MacNeil passed away in the spring but her family is keeping her memory alive this festive season by lighting up her favourite spot - her tea room in Big Pond, N.S.
“Last year was the first year we had the tea room lit up for the holiday season, of course, Rita’s favourite time of year, and it was a surprise for her,” says Rita’s son Wade Langham.
Jeff Peach is in charge of all the Christmas lights. He says he was happy to be able to bring a smile to Rita’s face.
“We decorated Rita’s Tea Room for Rita. She was on the road for about nine months, so she got to come home to a well-lit house. This year, Wade contacted us, asked us to do a big tree here, so we’re here to decorate a tree for Rita’s Tea Room and I guess, in honour of Rita as well,” says Peach.
“This tree is going to have about 6,000 lights in it, so hopefully, if we get it lit tonight, anybody in the space station will be able to look down and see the tree.”
Langham says he hopes lighting the tea room in his mother’s memory will become a new tradition.
“I hope, at some point, it becomes a spot where people…take a drive out and even just check out the lights. There are so many spots around the community here, where you can drive around and see where people went that extra mile. It just brings a smile to my face,” says Langham.
“We will see how it goes, but that’s the plan, to keep the tea room lit up every year and maybe more and more lights each year.”
