A Winnipeg Christmas-lover is helping families check out the best-decorated homes for another year.

Carol Cassel is dedicating another season to creating a brand-new Christmas light map. Helping other people enjoy the holiday season "fills her cup."

"I know that the Christmas map really brings a lot of joy to different people," she says. Cassel says the map helps others "go out and know where they can find really beautifully decorated homes and go out with their spouses or even just by themselves, with their children, and really enjoy the Christmas season."

She learnt that last year's Winnipeg Christmas Light Map was too successful. Spending hours pouring over submissions, she ended up will more than 700 submissions in 2020, which caused some issues.

carolCarol Cassel spends an hour a night adding submissions to her Winnipeg Christmas Light Map. (Supplied)

"There were a couple of issues last year with the map running slow because of too many pins so we removed some of the pins that were low decorated, so like just one string of lights."

This year she is hoping to see a couple of hundred submissions.

Cassel suggests checking out several homes including the 200 Block of Aldgate Road featuring Ken's Christmas Lights for Hope with is in support of the Children's Wish Foundation and 569 Island Shore Boulevard for its moving train.

The Linden Woods neighbourhood is continuing its tradition of themed streets. 

The Train House at 569 Island Shore Boulevard has a train that circles their front yard. (Winnipeg Christmas Light Map 2021)The Train House at 569 Island Shore Boulevard has a train that circles their front yard. (Winnipeg Christmas Light Map 2021)

"Any of the star pins on the map are just fantastic," she says. "I have got a three-year-old daughter, and things like that, she gets really excited when she gets to look at them."

Some homes use their decorations to collect donations, including 82 Alderson Boulevard which decorates their house in memory of their late son.

xmas lights on houseThe Aldershot house, which they say was featured in a new movie called A Kiss Before Christmas, is collecting donations for Toy Mountain. (Winnipeg Christmas Map 2021)

Cassel decorates her home too, but she says it is done moderately. 

The Christmas spirit runs in her family. Cassel's father named her Carol because of his love of Christmas, calling her as "pretty as a carol." Years later, Cassel can share that love with her three-year-old daughter. 

 

Submissions to the map can be made by filling out an online form.