Being back in Canada, Hudson’s Bay has taken their beautiful, historic holiday windows and played them up into a magical world, enchanting crowds in downtown Toronto. This year’s enchanting showcase, titled “Wonders of Mars,” features a day in the life of Mars Canada’s elves, combining animatronics and creative elements to create a festive atmosphere. Their animated windows at the corner of Queen and Yonge streets have turned into an amazing holiday tradition. Originally created as a promotional tool in the early 1900s when Simpson’s and Morgan’s pioneered the use of such displays, this convivial showcase…
The opening of the windows is a central moment for Hudson’s Bay. This re-emergence comes amid apprehension that the treasured holiday custom may never make a comeback. Artist Ellen Thompson, who helped lead the effort to return the windows, was stunned by the public outcry. For the next 20 or 30 minutes, everybody just mourned together. So they spun their communications around this idea that the holiday tradition was never coming back.
Despite the unusual circumstances, in an amazing feat of teamwork, the artists rapidly banded together to assemble this year’s installation. So we started looking around online and found thousands of folks on Twitter and Facebook lamenting their sorrow about not getting the windows. We knew that we had the power to actually do something to address that,” Thompson said. It was this fast-acting, hands-on creation process that brought about the gorgeous tableaux now captivating and charming all who pass through them.
Ana Fernandes, who has dedicated two decades to Hudson’s Bay as the creative director of visual presentation, spearheaded the project. She had to remind herself of her promise to deliver a show that matched the stellar expectations we often attach to this crowd-favorite tradition. When I returned, I would call each student and ooh and ahh and say, ‘Hey, I’m back!’ Fernandes remembered. Her priorities moved to reconnecting with her colleagues and reigniting their creativity.
This year’s holiday windows include fanciful scenes like The Nutcracker Ballet. It’s a striking first window filled with fanciful beasts stirring to life among a rosy dawn. Picture a Willy Wonka factory on Mars, with chocolate flowing through pipes! Elves rush to produce the candy bars and nutcrackers, and a computer compiles the lists of all the children who have sent letters to Santa. Twirling robot arms give the building a festive look as they package candy canes just in time for the holidays.
To help realize this vision, Mars acquired fun animatronics, lighting, and other creative features that augment the fantastical journey. Fernandes then spends the better part of a year watching as the long planning process. From there, installing the windows themselves can take a full month. This year brought unprecedented challenges which required rapid planning and implementation of new practices by the team.
Thompson admitted that the short timeline weighed heavily in his mind. He noted, “That was a pretty audacious goal for such a small timeframe.” Despite the pressure, the team rallied together to deliver an impressive display that honors the spirit of the holiday season.
Beyond simply making Canadians feel a little more festive, Hudson’s Bay is donating $1 to Camp Ooch for every $5 spent in stores. For each photo you post on social media featuring this year’s windows, Mars will contribute $1 to Food Banks Canada. They will match dollar-for-dollar your contributions, up to a total of $15,000! This initiative invites visitors to play with the display while doing their part to help those in need this holiday season.
Hudson’s Bay’s holiday windows have been a tradition of joy and wonder for families and curious tourists for decades. By reimagining this beloved tradition through creative design and neighborhood engagement, they’re keeping the spirit of the season alive across Toronto.
