A Nightmare on Wardlaw Avenue: Historic house decorated for Halloween
CTV
Old buildings can be a little spooky this time of year, but none like the Boyd House in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village.
Old buildings can be a little spooky this time of year, but none like the Boyd House in Winnipeg’s Osborne Village.
Adorned in a dark green exterior, the two-storey wood frame house naturally blends into the others that line Wardlaw Avenue. But for the last two fall seasons, it’s been modified to stand out from the rest.
“I turned around and cut out a couple of cardboard teeth, painted them white and threw them up on the house,” said David Park. “And that's kind of where it all began, you know, six cardboard teeth.”
Park bought the house in 2021 and lives there with his partner Matthew Frechette. According to the Manitoba Historical Society Archives, it was originally built in 1907 for grain inspector Melville Boyd and his family, but was eventually converted into a multi-tenant facility around 1967.
“It’s always a work in progress, maintenance. It’s a labour of love,” said Frechette.
In the years since they first started decorating, Park and Frechette said they try to amp up the décor and fully embrace the spirit of Halloween.
“The goal was, obviously, to animate the whole house,” Frechette said.
