‘Whoville’ magic on Westport’s mountain
- Francie Healy
- 16 hours ago
- 4 min read
This is the story of a Christmas tree unlike any others.
It sits on top of a big hill the villagers know as Foley Mountain. It is covered with lights of every colour, and at nighttime it shines so brightly against the dark sky that people can see it for miles around.
To little Dawson and Chase Kirst, whose dad is Lagois President Jacob Kirst, it is magical, just as it is for all the children of Westport.
Dawson and Chase are too small to understand that the magic of the Dick Ready Memorial Christmas tree on Foley Mountain has been there for generations of children before them and likely will be for generations to come.
“The tree has become a treasured part of our family’s Christmas season and a meaningful connection to the community,” says Jacob, whose family roots are in Westport. “There’s a touch of ‘Whoville’ magic in gathering on Christmas Eve, watching the star come to life, and feeling the entire hillside glow.”
The magic started in the 1980s with a much-loved Westport hotel keeper by the name of Dick Ready, who was determined to spread the spirit and wonderment of Christmas as far as the eye could see. He didn’t ask for help. He had a bee in his bonnet and he just did it.
He dragged what must have seemed like mile of Christmas lights (actually, eight 24-foot strings) all the way up the mountain (a rough climb, as any crazy Westport teenager who has tried it will tell you). Then, using a 28-foot extension ladder and a meat hook attached to a pole, he wrapped those Christmas lights around a tall cedar. He ran heavy gauge wire all the way back down the mountain to a home at the bottom, where resident John Boyd supplied the tree with power.
Bit by bit the villagers began to notice. As it grew dark they looked up to see this beautiful Christmas tree shining down on their town.
Dick’s daughter, Kim Ready, was working the afternoon shift in the hotel bar that snowy, wintry day in December.
“He just disappeared for a few hours,” she says. “He did the whole thing all by himself. But that was like him. If something needed to be done he always felt it was easier just to do it himself…and explain it later.”
Her dad broke everyone’s hearts when he died of cancer not too long afterwards, but there was a Christmas elf ready to step into his shoes and keep the tradition going, something he still does 38 years later. His name is Robb Merkley.
“If it had not been for Robb,” says Kim, “it probably would have been one of those traditions that faded away. That’s real dedication.”
People come from out of town to see the tree. They often stay at the hotel, now called The Cove (formerly The Tweedsmuir when Dick Ready owned it), and are enchanted by the view.
Many participate in a fundraising effort arranged by Robb. They do this by buying tickets for the chance to win beautiful Christmas baskets placed on display at the hotel. This helps add to the Dick Ready Memorial Christmas Tree Fund, which handles the costs of maintaining the tree each year. The Village of Westport pays for Hydro.
Others give money to the fund. Jacob Kirst is a big sponsor with a sizable donation.
“When I learned there was a fund to help maintain the Christmas lights, supporting it was an easy choice,” he says. “It’s a way to help keep that magic alive for families today and for years to come.”
He adds that for his and his wife Sabrina’s little boys “it’s pure Christmas Eve wonder, hot chocolate in hand, excitement in the air at that moment the star illuminates the night.”
He continues: “Living across the bay, we’re fortunate to look out over the lakefront and mountainside each night, the tree shining back at us, a quiet, visual reminder that special moments really do exist.”
Robb Merkley says the lights are Canadian Tire LED lights. They last a long time, but when they do need to be replaced they cost around $2,000.
Years ago he raised enough money to get and install an expensive power system with underground cables so the tree is properly hardwired with a breaker box at the top of the mountain. Now Robb hits the switch to light up the tree each year. The villagers consider this the real start of Christmas in Westport.
The original tree was ultimately not considered safe (it was a cedar and starting to deteriorate), so a different tree now wears the magical lights.
Robb puts up the lights every year, then takes them down again and stores them. He has a crew of volunteers who help decorate.
The first Christmas Eve after Dick Ready died, Robb placed a star on top of the tree. The first one was made from wood and wire; it is now a more modern (and lighter) aluminum version, more than 4 feet wide, that shines so brightly in the sunshine it looks as though it’s lit up; however, Robb switches it “on” for the first time on Christmas Eve.
In memory of Dick Ready, the Christmas Eve star-lighting has become a traditional ceremony with anyone who wants to be part of it. Robb says there are usually between 30 and 60 people. The ceremony includes a “roll call” of loved ones in the region who have died. It is a sweet and meaningful moment.
Robb encourages anyone who will be in Westport soon to go to The Cove and buy a ticket for one of the Christmas baskets. The raffle will be drawn sometime during the week of Dec. 22.
“It’s the only Christmas tree that is allowed in a provincial park in Canada,” Robb says. “I think that in itself is pretty cool.”
“To me,” says Jacob, traditions like this reflect what we at Lagois believe in: Perfecting the Art of Living, creating meaningful moments, strengthening community, and celebrating the things that make life truly special.”