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Sometimes, even Santa Claus has to fight city hall to create holiday magic.
"Santa," also known as Brad Wallace, was issued a use-of-street permit by the city Tuesday. It allows him to keep in place a display of arches along the length of the sidewalk in front of his home at 724 McAdam Ave. in Garden City. They are meant to enhance his annual holiday display that sports more than 7,000 lights and takes him a month to set up.
"I'm going to laminate it and keep it handy," said Wallace shortly after he received the document.
"I guess I'm a trailblazer. Nobody else has ever done this, so the city didn't have a template for a permit. Now they do. I guess nobody has ever been stupid enough to spend $1,500 to get arches over the sidewalk."
Wallace, who credits the help of Old Kildonan Coun. Devi Sharma with linking him to city officials who could help, said his Christmas tale began last year after he saw a video showing lighted arches over a residential sidewalk in Dallas.
Wallace bought metres of PVC pipe and strings of lights to create arches that are roughly three metres wide and three metres high. He erected the arches and plugged in the lights.
But, that's when the Grinch appeared.
"I had it up literally two days and then the city called and said there had been a complaint," Wallace said, adding he was told he might have to take down the arches.
"Three days later, they came back and said they had got another complaint to 311 from the same person. They said I can apply for an easement permit."
When Wallace called the city, everyone he spoke to said he couldn't do it. That's when he enlisted the help of Sharma.
Sharma said she was glad to help someone spread Christmas magic.
"That's what we do," she said. "I wouldn't want to be on the naughty list," she joked, adding she'd seen his unique display.
"People just really enjoy it. Winnipeg is a winter city and Winnipeggers like to celebrate the season."
Tuesday morning, civic public works staff went to Wallace's sidewalk armed with measuring tape. By mid-afternoon, Wallace had his permit.
The permit, which cost $140.70, including GST, is normally used to regulate bicycle racks, benches and vending machines on city boulevards. It allows him to place the lighted archways from the boulevard on McAdam Avenue across the sidewalk to his property.
The permit notes that any damage to the arches by the city's sidewalk snow-clearing machines is "the responsibility of the homeowner."
Wallace is pleased the light display, which he first set up in 2016, is being allowed to continue with the arches because it helps him attract Winnipeggers to his home to help the Winnipeg Humane Society and other local charities.
Dressed as Santa, Wallace accepts monetary donations from people who have a photo taken with him. He said he has raised as much as $1,500 some years.
Besides cash, Wallace accepts donations of dog and cat food as well as leashes and collars and other animal-related items he can take to the humane society.
He has also delivered donated winter gear for children and adults to the Mennonite Central Committee and non-perishable food items to Harvest Manitoba.
"Coun. Sharma and (her assistant) Kathleen are on my good list this year," he said. "And now, the city has a standard so if anyone else wants to do it they can. We just love Christmas."