'We were delighted': Dozens of large googly eyes mysteriously appear on B.C. street
It seemed like an ordinary morning until Doug Hallstead discovered something extraordinary on the tree outside his home.
“All of sudden there’s these cheerful eyes,” Doug points to a pair of large googly eyes attached to the trunk. “We were delighted!”
But then Doug wondered who put them there and why.
“We started talking to the neighbours,” Doug says. “Nobody said they’d done it.”
Instead, neighbours like Sue Bonnyman pointed out that below the limbs of their trees there were more googly eyes.
“They basically did trees all the way up the street,” Sue points out. “I think they’re great!”
Seemingly overnight, dozens of trees seemed to have sprouted giant eyeballs along Victoria’s Chamberlain Street.
While a few looked like cyclops with just one eye, most of the trees featured two prominent peepers taking it all in.
“I was smiling all the way up the street,” Maia McKinley says.
Kelly Sims, from a block away, started beaming too when she first saw the bark looking back at her.
“It’s a little bit of fun, urban-guerrilla happiness,” Kelly says. “[And] a mystery!”
“I don’t know who it could be,” Maia says. “It was a mystery.”
“Happy mysteries are always fun!” Doug laughs.
It’s a marvellous mystery that some of them tried to solve after someone else mentioned something about seeing a woman with blonde hair carrying a couple eyeballs under her arms.
“I’ve talked to a few blonde ladies,” Doug says. “But none of them will admit to it.”
So the neighbours switched gears, and instead of wondering who did it, started discussing how they could be inspired by it.
“Just buck up,” Sue says. “And make your neighbourhood better.”
Do something unexpected that will simply make someone’s day more delightful.
“And I love the fact that she did it anonymously, to keep the mystery,” Doug smiles. “We don’t have to take credit for the kind things that we do.”
But Doug says we do have to express our gratitude. So in lieu of offering an appreciative handshake or writing a thank-you card, a hug will have to do.
“I just love it,” Doug smiles while embracing the trunk and the tree’s googly eyes seem to look back at him. “Just love it.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Labour minister unveils steps to end Canada Post strike
Canada Post workers began their strike four weeks ago, halting mail and package deliveries across the country. Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon said he hopes work will resume as early as next week.
Ottawa to remove 30% investment cap for Canadian pension funds
Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says the upcoming fall economic statement on Monday will remove the cap that currently restricts Canadian pension funds from owning more than 30 per cent of the voting shares of a Canadian entity.
Canada's homicide rate down in most provinces, with 2 exceptions
The homicide rate is declining in Canada, and the country’s three largest cities all saw double-digit percentage decreases in homicides per capita, according to data released this week.
'They believe in diplomacy, good luck': Doug Ford doubles down on energy threat as some premiers distance themselves
Doug Ford is standing behind his threat to stop providing the U.S. with electricity in response to president-elect Donald Trump’s promised tariffs, even as several other premiers publicly distance themselves from the stance.
Vader case: What it's like to watch a parole hearing if you're the grandson of homicide victims
On the other side of the planet, Bret McCann, whose grandparents went missing and died in the 2010s, sat anxiously as the man convicted in their deaths pleaded for parole.
Top musician forced to cancel Toronto concert after Air Canada refused to give his priceless cello a seat on plane
Famed British cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason, who became a household name after performing at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, has said he had to cancel a concert in Canada after the country’s largest airline denied his pre-booked seat for his cello.
Paula Abdul settles lawsuit that alleged sexual assault by 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe
Paula Abdul and former 'American Idol' producer Nigel Lythgoe have agreed to settle a lawsuit in which she alleged he sexually assaulted her in the early 2000s when she was a judge on the show.
Federal government says 'not to confuse' premiers' differing opinions on Trump tariff retaliation, 'confident' in Canada's response
As it continues to tout a 'Team Canada' approach, the federal government is downplaying differing opinions from premiers on how Canada should respond to a potential 25 per cent tariff from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.
Eight people injured after horse-drawn wagon went out of control in eastern Ont.
Eight people were injured after horses became out of control while a man was offering a horse-drawn wagon ride Thursday in eastern Ontario, according to the Brockville Police Service.