Area residents celebrate Halloween with costumes, haunted houses

A lot of people in Hamilton, Halton and Niagara are preparing for a knock on the door, while others carefully navigate the streets, watching out for trick-or-treaters and other spooky spectacles.

And while many say Halloween is costing more this year, some spared no expense and found a way to give back.

As colourful leaves decorate the trees, Hamiltonians are decorating their homes for Halloween, and some get into the spirit more than others.

Paul Leger’s haunted yard is sure to give on-lookers the creepy crawlies, but he hopes people mainly have a ton of fun.

“I started out with just a couple props, in the eight years I’ve been upgrading every year making it better for the community,” Leger said.

“I was a kid at one time, going to haunted houses, so I figured I’d do it for the kids now. It’s one day a year, that’s all we get for Halloween.”

And Leger is using the opportunity to give back by collecting food for those in need.

“I was on the streets at one time, so I know what it’s like for people in tent city and stuff. We’re actually going to go out and hand it out to the homeless and the rest of the food is going to the food bank at the Good Shepherd,” Leger said.

But, for some people the scariest part of Halloween isn’t the ghosts or the monsters, it’s the price of candy.

Some say it’s a little bit more expensive, but most say, for the kids, it’s worth it.

And let’s not forget being able to show off a costume, like the kids who put on a parade at the Maplecrest Village Retirement Residence in Grimsby.

The organizer said it’s been a long tough couple of years, and the fact that they can actually have kids come into the building to see the residents is thrilling.