Lakefield community gathers for tree lighting at Kawartha Home Hardware site
By Stacey Sullivan
Eight weeks after a devastating fire at Kawartha Home Hardware, the Lakefield community gathered for a tree lighting ceremony at the location where the building once stood.
Residents, families, and local business owners filled the corner of Queen and Burnham Streets in the Village of Lakefield as hundreds of people came together to witness two newly installed Christmas trees light up the downtown for the first time.
Judi Coyle, who spearheaded the fundraising efforts following the fire, and a child who lived in one of the apartments had the honour of lighting the trees.
Where a damaged building once stood, the space was transformed into a bright and hopeful symbol of the season - and of the community’s resilience.
On Thursday, October 9, a fire broke out at the Kawartha Home Hardware building, which also contained five apartments. In the weeks that followed, the Lakefield community rallied to raise funds and gather essential items for those affected. Due to significant structural damage, the building was demolished, leaving an empty lot in the heart of the village. In response, the idea to place Christmas trees on the site was born and quickly brought to life.
“The decorations are up, the electrical is set up, and the tree toppers are on so we are excited to gather as a community to watch them light up for the first time!” shared Kawartha Home Hardware on social media.
The tree topper, a Home Hardware logo provided by Signafied, sits proudly atop one of the trees, a nod to the store’s longstanding place in the community. The other tree is decorated with Home Hardware branded gloves, with a maple leaf as the tree topper.
“Thank you once again to the people of Lakefield for always being there, your support means everything to us and we’re so proud to call Lakefield home.”
“We are absolutely blown away by the community and how this all came together so quickly,” Kawartha Home Hardware wrote on social media, “Thank you once again to the people of Lakefield for always being there, your support means everything to us and we’re so proud to call Lakefield home.”
The project was made possible through the generous support of numerous individuals and businesses. The Beresford family and Hyland Tree Care donated the trees, while Kawartha Utilities Services, Drain Bros. Excavating Ltd., and KP Crane Corp. assisted in setting them up and helping with decorations. Lakefield IDA Pharmacy supplied power for the lighting, and The Nutty Bean Cafe provided food and hot beverages to volunteers while the trees were being set up.