Another Halloween has come and gone.
As someone who has worked in the journalism industry for close to two decades, one of the annual events that I have always looked forward to covering is All Hallows Eve, when the young, as well as the young-at-heart, are given the green light to dress up in interesting, hilarious and downright intriguing, bizarre costumes.
From a newsie perspective, photographing people walking around in search of candy is truly amazing, as it shows community involvement.
Roughly four decades ago, I was one of those little kids who not only enjoyed collecting pillowcases full of candy that would give me a sugar high for close to a week - much to the chagrin of my parents - but also pretend that I was one of my favourite characters from Star Wars, GI Joe, or any of the other popular franchises of the 1980s.
Growing up in rural Prince Edward Island, unlike in many of our country’s major cities, kids walking around their home communities on Halloween night with minimal (or no) adult supervision was very common.
Sure, we heard about incidents on the nightly news (including the one concerning razor blades in candy), but those tended to be far away and therefore, most folks in that era weren’t overly concerned.
As I set out around Lac La Biche during the early evening of Oct. 31 with my camera in the hopes of capturing a bunch of great shots as well as snagging some treats of my own, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat nostalgic about the Halloweens of my own childhood.
It was great to see lots of kids out and about enjoying this annual occasion associated with scary and dark creatures. While trick or treaters walking around big-city neighbourhoods aren’t as common now, many small communities from coast to coast still carry on this tradition.
There are dangers to be aware on Halloween night, and luckily today, society is much more aware and attentive to these risks. One of the most pressing risks posed to trick or treaters are motorists driving too fast or not paying attention. But even then, there is ample education and enforcement to ensure that rules are followed in order for kids to have a safe, fun night.
Halloween is a time of the year for youngsters to let loose, enjoy themselves, and indulge in sweets. Let’s keep it that way for them.
