Firefighters host haunted house at Astorville Firehall
“Come in if you dare,” the East Ferris Firefighters Association warned, and last year, over 200 kids rose to the challenge. Once again, to celebrate Halloween, the Association is decking out the Astorville Firehall at 1229 Village Road in East Ferris, with all variety of seasonal spookiness, and as always, kids are welcome to stop by – if they dare.
The haunted house is open from 5 to 8 p.m.
It’s actually not that scary, explained firefighter Verda Jeff. The trick or treaters seem to be getting younger every year, “and we don’t want to scare the little ones away.” However, it will be spooky, and there will be candy for all the little ghouls.
“It’s a long-standing tradition,” she said of the haunted house, “it’s been really well-attended.” She explained that it takes under a day to decorate the garage bay at the Astorville Firehall, and the firefighters go all out with pumpkins, creepy decorations, and there’s even a stretcher in the display. What’s on that stretcher? Discover for yourself if you dare.
As firefighters rarely miss a chance to discuss fire safety, “we have a fire prevention table outside where people can pick up pamphlets or get other information on the fire department.” While little Billy is peeking to see what’s on the stretcher, you can stand back and refresh your knowledge of smoke alarm maintenance.
Admission is free, so add the firehall to your Halloween route. Firefighters suggest you bring a donation to the Infant and School Snack Cupboard, a new initiative the municipality recently launched. BayToday will be talking to Mayor Rochefort this week to get the full story about that.
In the meantime, a donation would be appreciated. Think baby foods, formula, and other foodstuffs for East Ferris’ youngest residents.
As for the candy, that too was donated, and “we’ve had so much support this year,” Jeff explained. “Multiple businesses in East Ferris and North Bay have donated money or candy to help us.”
Astorville Freshmart, East Ferris Auto Centre, Perron Timber Mart, Groulx’s Grub, Odyssey Fluid Power and the Friends of NBRHC all pitched in to make this Halloween as sweet as can be.
Jeff also emphasized the importance of making sure your child is visible on Halloween night – “we need to be able to see them.” Something reflective on a costume is always good or attach a small light to them if they will be walking a lot.
Perhaps most importantly, Jeff reminds adults to keep a keen eye out for the trick or treaters, and “really slow down” while driving about to ensure a safe and fun Halloween for all.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, BayToday.ca
