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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
If even one light can brighten the dark days of Yellowknife's winter, some of the city's residents are doing more than their part, and are being recognized by the city for their elaborate Christmas light displays.

After putting in many hours, and in some cases small fortunes, the winners of the 2012 Northland Utilities Christmas Lights Competition were announced last Friday, based on online votes for their efforts to brighten up the city with thousands of Christmas lights.

"It's a labour of love," said Dr. Hassan Adam, whose Adam Dental Clinic has won the commercial exterior category of the Christmas Lights Competition once again, after consistently winning the category for more than 10 years. "We're happy that the community enjoys it. We enjoy doing it."

Since Charlene, Adam's wife, put up a small display outside the clinic the year it opened at the Franklin Avenue location in 1987, the displays have gotten bigger and more elaborate, with thousands of multi-coloured LED lights now strewn around the corner and up the tall trees.

"Adam's Dental, that's an awesome job," said George Farrell, who gets inspiration for the Farrell's Glick Court residence by driving around the city with wife Roxanne and daughter Hanna, 11, looking at the way the different houses are decorated for the season.

"Hanna loves it," said Farrell, who works as a supervisor for an expediting company in town. "I would really like to see more. For me, it really brightens up your holiday season."

The Farrells won the 2012 Christmas Lights Competition in the residential category for their spectacular lights display on their home off Finlayson Drive, which includes a sleigh landing on the roof and a ginger bread family representing the trio. The family said they don't know who nominated them for the contest.

"I'd really like to say thank you for all the people that voted for us, we really appreciate it," he said.

In addition to the commercial exterior and residential home category, winners were also selected for the most decorated mobile home, alternative display, neighbourhood, and commercial interior.

Bertha Harman, whose family has decorated their Wong Court home every Christmas for more than 10 years, said "it was pretty bleak," when they first started, but as more kids have moved onto the block, it seems like the neighbours have been putting up more lights.

Wong Court won the 2012 prize for most decorated neighbourhood, in a tie with Gitzel Street.

"It's more for the kids, the excitement," Harman said.

Although now a teenager, son Scott Harman was pleased and a little bit surprised when he returned home from school in B.C. to see so much participation in the neighbourhood.

"I haven't seen it like this before. It's really nice," he said.

Walt Humphries, a resident of neighbourhood winner Gitzel Street, said he has been creating Christmas displays in town for more than three decades.

"I started out small, just lights from the dump and then things just sort of grew," he said.

"It makes the neighbourhood look more friendly. The people drive by and the kids like it."

Humphries is not the only one salvaging decorations from the dump, with winner of the alternative category of this year's lights competition, Elvis Brown, proud to say that most of his Rycon Drive display is from the dump.

"All my stuff is recycled," said Brown, who along with his role as commercial operations manager for the downtown Extra Foods, is a chainsaw collector and refurbisher. "I do a lot of things with my hands so lighting stuff is easy to do."

Originally From Newfoundland, Brown still celebrates the 12 days of Christmas, leaving his lights on until Jan. 6, but has traded in mummering traditions for light displays since moving to Yellowknife in 1984.

"This time of year it's supposed to be a happy time and the place is dark," he said. "We have enough darkness in Yellowknife, it doesn't get light now 'til March, so you're better off with a bunch of lights. Lights don't cost a lot. I honestly think that people should be decorating."

Only the second year decorating his Jeske Court home, Ben Sooley's winning layered lights display took more than a week to put up with the help of sons Edward, 13, and Brady, 11, and was lit up for the first time this month as wife Theresa McRae, who is an interior designer, pulled into the driveway after work.

"He loves surprising me with things, and I knew he was working so hard but when I came home and I came around the corner, it was like whoa ... it was beautiful," said McRae. "He worked really hard and I was really proud of him."

Sooley said he will put the $100 prize money toward $500 more in decorations next Christmas.

Down the street on the other side of Jeske Court, the Slade family, including Maryann and Adam Slade, 10, won the 2011 lights competition, and will continue going all out with their decorations, despite not getting the title this year, said Maryann.

"This is the perfect place to do it," she said. "It's a winter wonderland."

In past years, residences and businesses were entered or nominated for the competition, and the winners were chosen by Northland Utilities.

This year for the first time, an online voting system was introduced for the competition, with votes accepted on the City of Yellowknife web page Dec. 1 through 12.

"I thought it was a great success," said Lori Burrill, Northland Utilities supervisor of office and customer service, who helped organize the competition. "We had lots of votes."

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