A "mostly" beloved Halloween display on Martin Drive is afloat once again.
In August, Natalie McGregor and her family were instructed by City of Orillia bylaw officials to halt construction on their annual life-size pirate ship.
The attraction brings thousands to the neighbourhood each October and is equipped with fog-blowing cannons, skeletons, and other Halloween decorations.
However, the ship violated the city's zoning bylaw and the provincial Building Code, the owners were told.
After working with city officials to find a compromise, McGregor and her family have reduced the size of the ship.
"We've made four different adjustments to the ship," she explained. "We made it smaller and pulled it back within the setback requirements."
The ship is now half the size of what it was last year, but McGregor says it is still an attraction worth seeing.
"Bringing people together and making them happy is what matters," she said. "It's still a great-looking ship and it's as elaborate as we wanted."
This is the first time in four years McGregor and her family have been required by city officials to adjust the display. She speculates at least one of her neighbours disapproves of the display and the traffic it spawns and filed a complaint.
In the comment section of a previous OrilliaMatters article about the display, one reader referred to it as a "monstrosity."
"We had over 100 people come to see it last weekend," McGregor said. "We've had people come every single night. Most people love it, and they think it's a shame that somebody would want this down."
She says she's confused as to how somebody could disapprove of something that brings joy to families in the community, adding the display is family friendly and can be enjoyed by people of all ages.
"We do have some body parts in the trees," she said, "but we've had two-year-olds come to see it, and we've had 70-year-olds come to see it. They all enjoy it."
The Martin Drive Halloween display is lit each night during the Halloween season until about 9 p.m.
The McGregors are also collecting non-perishable food items at the front of the display this year for The Sharing Place Food Centre.
"Groceries are so expensive now and I know lots of families are struggling," McGregor said. "We have the means to make a difference and hopefully people will be kind enough to donate."
