There's something about twinkling, colourful lights that creates instant Christmas cheer.
The Christmas Light Tour has become an extremely popular holiday tradition in Chilliwack.
"We've been doing it for more than 20 years now," said Steve Lerigny, executive officer of Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board.
"Believe or not we got an email recently from a couple, Robin and Della Jansen, who have been a part of our tour ever since it started, 22 years ago.
"They love being a part of it."
For CADREB's 2015 Tour of Lights they once again created maps breaking down the list of homes into a series of self-guided tours, with the option of smaller tours of beautifully decorated properties, or the chance to see them all.
When it started the event was a Christmas lights contest, but the same property owners kept winning the top prize almost every year, said Lerigny.
So they turned the competition into a wonderful annual tour of Christmas lights.
"The idea was for people to travel around at their leisure and look at all the lights. We start getting calls in the fall of people who wanted to be on the tour. They enjoy how we highlight their homes and decorations."
The entire list of addresses is printed every winter in the last Real Estate Review of the Chilliwack Progress before Christmas for the benefit of the public.
This year it was tucked inside the Dec. 18 edition of The Progress and are being reprinted below as well.
The tour addresses are also found online at www.cadreb.com, under the 'news & statistics' drop-down menu.
So why go through the trouble to publish a list of addresses?
"It's the idea that people are so proud of their homes, and they like to decorate and display them for everyone to enjoy," said Lerigny. "Some of the home owners are very generous, and make a point of taking food bank donations as well."
This year they've broken down the Chilliwack area into 10 different mini tours with the help of Google maps. There are four driving tours of Chilliwack proper, a couple in Little Mountain and Fairfield Island, Eastern Hillsides/Rosedale, Promontory and Sardis.
"If you follow the tours in order as they are listed online they'll logically lead to the next one in the next neighbourhood."
There are some "truly amazing" displays out there, all over town, so check it out.
"We are happy to do it," Lerigny. "We will continue to do it as long as we can!"
Here are the participants in CADREB's 2015 Tour of Lights:
Chilliwack
9251 James
9255 James
9254 James
46587 Chwk Central
8880 Broadway
8892 Broadway
46623 First Ave
9537 Menzies
45767 Wellington
45783 Wellington
9467 Corbould
45658 Princess
45629 Princess
45594 Princess
45585 Princess
45550 Princess
9404 Stanley
9365 Edward St
9080 Sunset
9065 Sunset
45380 Barton
9035 Darwin
3 - 45458 Crescent Dr
8780 Bellevue
8789 Butchart
45449 McIntosh
8950 Hazel
9660 Hazel
45538 Lewis
45701 Berkeley
Angus Dr
10190 Brentwood
10110 Brentwood
47325 Mountain Park Dr (Ltl Mtn)
Auburn Dr
Little Mountain
47325 Mountain Park Dr
Fairfield Island
46650 Montana Dr (Collecting Food Donations for Salvation Army)
10015 Young Rd
10015 Young Rd
46040 Avalon
10092 Bonavista
10209 Crystal
46392 Topley
10082 Dublin
10135 Hymar
10198 Beverly
10340 Wedgewood
10485 Bell
10545 Teton
10785 McDonald
10680 McDonald
46265 Hope River
Sardis
45187 Raven Pl
45166 Raven Pl
46381 John Pl
46322 John Pl
7620 Diamond Cr
Bedford Parkway
6443 Fern St
46151 Christina Dr
46246 Christina Dr
46410 Stevenson Rd
46287 Ranchero
45429 Wells
7345 Leary
7355 Leary
6035 Vedder
Garrison Crossing
Chinook Dr
Montesina culdesac end 5765 +
1 - 44465 McLaren Dr
7954 Chilliwack River
Promontory
47350 MacSwan
5592 Alpine Cr
5512 Highroad Cr
5504 Highroad Cr
5557 Highroad
6032 Rexford
46416 Lear
47275 Brewster
Eastern Hillsides/ Rosedale
9986 Llanberis Way
8188 Upper Prairie Rd (1/2 acre of lights)
8878 Upper Prairie Rd
7983 Palmer
7929 Palmer
7914 Brookwood
7442 Allison
7390 Ridgeview
Dickinson
