As you glance around Kai Costerd’s relatively small living room, the bright red “I Believe” cushion on the sofa offers a hint of where the passion lies with this remarkable 16-year-old.
And within a couple of seconds of the smiling Kai flicking the switch on his keychain remote control, any lingering doubt vanishes as to what fuels the teenager at this time of year.
No sooner had he said “watch this” than the entire front room of his grandparents’ Steveston Highway townhouse came alive with every conceivable sight and sound of Christmas.
Every one of the dozens of ornaments on the family Christmas tree makes a sound or has some animation (including Clark Griswald of Christmas Vacation movie fame), the Countdown to Christmas digital display belts out a festive tune and then — Kai’s piece de resistance — a living, breathing, 50-square-foot Christmas village.
Central Park in New York, the Empire State Building, the Polar Express train and station, a drive-in movie theatre, a ski resort with moving gondolas and Santa’s grotto with photo opps are just a few highlights from Kai’s display.
Ever since he was 10, when he helped set up his grandma’s friend’s Christmas village display, the McMath secondary student has been collecting his own village scenes and slowly, but surely, building his own, fully animated and incredibly detailed festive scene.
Such is Kai’s depth of knowledge in the world of the ornamental Christmas village, Art Knapps in South Surrey employs the talented Grade 11 student to run its Department 56 section — the name of the company that manufactures the display pieces.
“It takes up most of the living room; my grandparents are OK with it,” beamed Kai, who’s also the president of the West Coast Collectors, a group of Department 56 enthusiasts, which was founded in 2014.
“My grandma bought me my first ‘house’ in 2010 and I’ve been collecting them ever since. Art Knapps offered me the job to set up the display and run the department.
“I work there every weekend from November to January and work in the rest of the store during the rest of the year.”
Christmas comes but once a year though and, when asked how he fills his time the other 11 months of the year, Kai said he’s “always buying stuff, adding to the collection and building new pieces.
Storage spaces in the townhouse are, understandably, full, and there are totes filled with the ornaments under all the beds.
“It keeps him out of trouble; especially when you look at what the kids are into these days,” said his grandad, Steve Young.
Oh, and did we mention that the very creative Kai is also a cake maker and decorator?
“I’ve done courses at the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts; I make cakes, decorate them and sell them on the side,” he added.
“My grandmas like to bake, so I just take it to another level.”
