Where are Winnipeg’s downtown Christmas lights this year?

The festive lights adorn Downtown Winnipeg's light poles in November 2019. This year, they are sitting out the season due to light pole replacements. (Danton Unger/CTV News Winnipeg)

Downtown Winnipeg may feel a little less festive this year.

The city has confirmed there are fewer Christmas lights up, but it is not because anyone is feeling particularly ‘grinchy’ at city hall.

Santa Claus and Jack Frost are making their usual appearance, adorning the median of Portage Avenue and Main Street with festive spirit. But other staples of Winnipeg’s light display are missing.

The angels, stars and snowflakes that typically herald the holidays atop downtown streetlight poles are having to sit this season out.

That’s because the city is in the process of replacing the light poles.

The old decorative heritage poles—the black ones with the round bulbs—that lined Main Street and Portage Avenue have reached the end of their life. They were originally installed between 1997 and 1999.

The city said due to public safety, the poles need to be replaced.

The plan is to put in custom-designed poles within two years that can accommodate the holiday light displays. But for now, the city is putting in temporary light poles.

“These temporary poles are unable to accommodate our festive lighting,” Adam Campbell, a communications officer with the city, told CTV News in an email.

Winnipeg’s proposed 2026 budget does include $1 million for the new heritage lighting along Portage Avenue (from Main Street to Spence Street) and Main Street (from Portage Avenue to Rupert Avenue). Mayor Scott Gillingham said the new lighting will “kind of” look like the old heritage poles.

“I think that’s important,” he told reporters last week. “Call me old-fashioned, but I think that really added to the character, especially of our Exchange District.”

Campbell said the city expects to have the temporary poles replaced within two years with the new poles that will be able to accommodate the holiday light displays.