Submitted by Christine Whelan

Dec 9, 2021, VOL. 3 ISSUE 8

The first Monday of December has become synonymous with the Christmas tree lighting at Queen’s Park, Crystal Beach. the annual tribute, in memory of Fort Erie’s Cindy Little (McCooey). This year marks the 12th annual year since she passed away of cancer on March 29, 2009.

Every year, 50-100 friends and family gather around the tree and remember their Cindy. This year, however, means just a little bit more after last year’s darkness. With the restrictions, there were no lights.

“We didn’t have it last year because of the pandemic. It wasn’t lit up. It was very dull. It was very strange.” Diane Nowicki, Cindy’s mom, has been in charge of the tree each year, however, the event is a family effort.

Most people knew Cindy as Cindy. But then, there was Sophiee. “She just started calling herself Sophiee in high school,” Diane said. The name stuck, as decades later, many only knew her by her self-claimed nickname.

A Mother Reminisces

“She was born September 10, 1958.”

In remembering her daughter as a little girl, “She was just the sweetest little thing, with blond, curly hair that she straightened when she got older.”

Diane attributed, at least in part, Cindy developing into a strong, forthright woman, to growing up with three brothers. “She had to fight her way through there,” said with a laugh revealing above all, she loved her brothers Butch, Shawn and Chris, and the feelings were quite mutual.

When asked more about Cindy’s childhood, Diane shared, “She loved doing crafts, a very creative girl. And she was the high school prom queen.”

Cindy was very social.”She had so many friends. Our house was always full of kids. Constantly full of kids.” She brought her social life home.

Diane told a story of her daughter’s childhood days with her friends. “We had a ceiling in our basement that everybody, whenever they came to our house, would sign. You should have seen it when they were done!”

Cindy married Rod Little in her younger years. At the time, she had two children from a previous relationship. “Rod adopted her children, Crystal and Ian. Then they had a child together, Kelly. He’s been the most marvelous father to those kids.” Diane and Rod have kept in touch.

Both Diane and Cindy worked at Rosehill Auction in Fort Erie for many years, continuing the enhancement of that social life. Butch, her brother, currently runs Rosehill Auction in Brandford.

Cindy was close with her brothers. “Chris was in Japan when she got sick. He came home a month before she passed to be with her.”

The First Tree

When asked about the first year the tree was planted, Diane shared, “My friends donated some money so I could buy a tree to put in my front yard. I was renting a house at the time, and I thought, what if I move? I can’t move the tree. Martha Lockwood was instrumental in getting that tree planted on Queen’s Circle.”

She added in disbelief, “It was a three-foot blue spruce and now it’s about thirty feet tall.” That was the first Christmas the family experienced without Cindy, December 2009.

Over The Years

“Each year, we have a little service, remember the people who have passed in our family. Her brother, Shawn, serves hot chocolate from Tim Horton’s. We ask if anybody has anything to say. People do step up to talk. It’s just a nice service.”

We talked about the years when everyone in attendance was given a yellow rose to stick in the tree as the decoration. “Yellow roses were her favourite.”

These days, “We don’t use roses now. We put ornaments on the tree. There’s a whole basket full of them, hundreds of them.” When asked if the ornaments make it year after year, Diane explained some get broken or dirty. However, she stated, there has never been any wrongdoing. Nobody has ever touched the tree.

Canadian Tire has helped, donating some of the lights. Rod donated $600 towards the lights for the tree this year.” She expressed her gratitude since they have had to keep replacing the lights over the years. This year, thanks to all who contributed, there will be over 600 lights on the tree.

“Advancing Crystal Beach’s, Orma Bleeks, is responsible for getting the lights put on the tree this year. And it was amazing how they did it. They had a twenty-foot two-by-two with a notch in the end of it. And they pushed the lights up the tree with this long pole. I watched it and I cried when they got to the top, just amazing. If it wasn’t for Orma, I would not have gotten those lights up this year.”

Diane would like everyone to remember her daughter for the value she put on family and friendship. “In her years at Rosehill, everybody loved her.” And there were reasons.

The tree lighting ceremony was planned to be held on December 6th at 5:30 pm in Queen’s Circle, Crystal Beach. In your travels, this holiday season, as you wind through to streets of “the beach”, for one reason or another, make sure to make your way to the Queen’s Circle and stop to see Cindy’s tree. Remember all those in your life during this time, and give thanks. Nothing else really matters.

Photos:

Cindy’s tree, 2019 – taken by Christine Whelan (the most recent showing the growth)