It was All Hallows' Eve 2013 and some residents of St. Albert senior centres sat ready with their treats and candy waiting for the children to arrive. But nobody came.
To point out more hidden trick-or-treat locations in the city, the St. Albert Community Information and Volunteer Centre has created an online map this year.
On Tuesday, the map only listed three locations, said Ryan Mullan, social media and marketing co-ordinator. He hopes more people will come forward before the end of the week so he can update the map for Halloween night.
"We started with (senior homes) but then I thought we could probably really help out if anybody is looking to do the indoor circuit for Halloween," he said. "We could probably find malls and other places, recreation facilities, that might be interested in having trick-or-treaters come by."
Mullan said he created the map to help out the senior homes but only two are participating this year. They are the Citadel Care Centre at 25 Erin Ridge Rd., and the Chateau Mission Court at 34 Mission Avenue.
The map has now been opened to include haunted houses, and some businesses, such as St. Albert Centre, which offers an indoor circuit for children from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 31.
Mullan hopes more locations will call or email him. The last edition of the map will be published at 9 a.m. on Halloween.
For more information go to stalbertcivc.com/halloween-2014-map.
Other events
Other events in the city before or earlier on Halloween day include the annual Halloween Party at the St. Albert Family Resource Centre.
The party takes place from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 30 and costs $20 for member families and $35 for non-member families. The centre is located at 215 Carnegie Drive.
That same night, the St. Albert library celebrates The Night Before Halloween from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Children in grades one to six are invited to attend. To register call 780-459-1532.
During the day on Oct. 31, Java Mama is holding a Halloween Costume Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The party includes dress ups, games and spooky ghost crafts.
Java Mama is located at 15 Circle Dr. Regular admission costs apply and parents are asked to bring a donation for a shoebox gift.
Food donations
At least two heavily decorated Halloween houses are collecting donations for the food bank on Halloween night. They are located at 184 Heritage Dr. and 64 Embassy Place.
Ingrid Carli, who has decorated her home at Embassy Place for the past 11 years, said she would be in her yard by 8 a.m. on Oct. 31 to put up her decorations, taking them down that same night.
"I try to change things up and that's why I don't want to put stuff up too soon because then people see it and the element of surprise is gone," she said. "Just Halloween night, that's it."
Carli said she is planning to have a big grocery cart stationed in her yard to collect donations.
Last year, she and her husband collected between 400 and 500 pounds of food and around $200 cash, she said. They also had at least 3,000 people visit their home, she said.
