A long running tradition, three-time Olympian and former senator Nancy Greene Raine leads Christmas caroling in the village each holiday season.
Based on growing up in Rossland, B.C. and experiencing neighbourhood caroling on Christmas Eve, Raine said she saw the potential in Sun Peaks as an ideal location for this holiday activity as the village developed.
For about 20 years now, the tradition has brought holiday cheer to locals and visitors.
Caroling in the village, 2024
Since its first year bringing in 20 to 30 singers, caroling in the village has continued to grow, Raine said.
Participants can sing from 30 to 40 songbook sheets with a mix of traditional carols, commercial songs and music for the kids.
Since last year, vocal teacher Maria Cannon has been helping Raine lead the group in song.
Following a consistent year-by-year schedule, anyone who wants to participate is welcome to congregate at the Village Day Lodge at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 23 and Dec. 24. Here, songbooks are handed out and the group does a practice before heading up to the Village Clocktower for 7 p.m., where they stay and sing until 7:30 p.m.
At the clocktower during caroling in the village, Raine said somewhere between 30 to 100 people usually show up.
“When I look out, I’ll see people, and I realize I’ve seen them every year for 15 or 20 years,” she said.
Most enjoyable for her is when, during Silent Night, the carolers join arms and sway back and forth in time to the music, hearing the general merry Christmases being tossed around and seeing people’s bright, smiling faces.
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