Putting smiles on people's faces. That's the mission of Nicole Lavoie and her husband Gérald Gauthier, passionate citizens of Coteau-du-Lac, who decorate their home on Chemin du Fleuve for holidays such as Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. Interview with the woman who brings joy to her community.

From memory, Nicole Lavoie estimates that she has been decorating her home for at least 25 years. The couple built their home on chemin du Fleuve in Coteau-du-Lac in 2000. Since then, her decorations have been growing.

"I'm originally from Gaspésie and come from a family of 26 children. Resourcefulness was therefore at the heart of our family's daily routine. I inherited my mother's gift for making miracles out of very little. I learned everything from my mother. Every year, we decorate our house for Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween and Christmas. I'm retired now, but even when I was working full-time, I still did it. I try to keep each theme going for six weeks to give people time to admire it," Nicole Lavoie sums up on the other end of the phone.

Teamwork to spread smiles

In summer, the home's grounds are adorned with flowers of all kinds, which also attract the attention of passers-by. Fortunately, Mrs Lavoie can count on her husband's help every year to brighten up their single-family home. "He helps me put out the bins full of decorations, and he's very handy, so he can make me custom items if I need them. Every year, I try to vary the decorations and themes. People, especially children, who come to admire the decorations are very observant. Sometimes, they even bring me items they no longer use. Children sometimes leave their pets in the decor," she says.

Each set takes about two weeks to assemble. "I always add a little more over the next few days. People often come here in the evening and sit on the gallery to watch the decor. They chat and take photos. Sometimes they even knock on the door to chat with us. They're always very respectful and friendly. It's a pleasure to see their faces light up when they come to observe it," she confides.

In two weeks's time, Halloween decor will be back in the bins, to be replaced by Christmas decor. What's the biggest challenge?"It's doing it every year.Once it's done, we often ask ourselves: what are we going to do next year?It takes a lot of preparation and energy.But we do it because it brings joy to people's daily lives, and we get lots of good and nice comments.People are always welcome to come and admire the decor up close", she admits.

The couple even receive a letter of thanks from the town council for their efforts to brighten up the community. “We don't expect it and we don't do it for that, but it makes a little velvet obviously.”

This Thursday evening, the couple will open the door to trick-or-treaters in Halloween costumes.“My husband dresses up as a werewolf to hand out treats and I decorate my entrance hall on the day, because I have dogs and it would be hard to do it before (laughs),” she concludes.