Pumpkins carved by the families at the Medicine Hat Women's Shelter Society (Photo by Ross Lavigne)

By Alex McCuaig

Costumes and COVID

Hatters hopeful Halloween will go on despite pandemic

Sep 14, 2020 | 4:41 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Halloween might still be a few weeks away but if and how Hatters celebrate the spookiest day on the calendar is still not clear.

But for Medicine Hat’s best-known costumier, Carol Schlaht, it’s something she’s wondering about as her busiest time of year is coming up for her rental business.

“I have no idea what is going to happen,” said Schlaht of The Costume Shoppe. “I mean, Halloween is a tradition, it’s not going anywhere. It needs to stay.”

Schlaht has a life-long love of the holiday stretching back to dressing up with her parents in the upstairs apartment of the family business, City Bakery located downtown on Sixth Avenue.

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That landmark business in the city’s downtown has since ceased operations but Schlaht took the upstairs apartment and turned it into her business 35 years ago.

Schlaht says she started with a few costumes bought locally and, “I’ve built up. I’ve made tons of costumes through the years – bought some, made some…I’ve got what I have today because of the fun of it and the interest. I just love it!”

She says calls are beginning to come in to book costumes which she rents for between $25 and $100 but she’s not quite sure how things are going to shake out in the end with uncertainty about the holiday.

For David Green’s plans for his annual decorations of his Sundown Road home, losing the chance to display animatronics and scary displays will also mean the loss of something else.

“Fun,” said Green. “I don’t want to lose the fun of it.”

Last week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford says he has fears of whether or not the holiday could be celebrated in light of rising COVID-19 cases.

However, in B.C., Dr. Bonnie Henry said it won’t be cancelled in that province.