NORTH DELTA — For a couple months each year, as summer fades and fall begins to show its colours, Gord Sauck and his wife Susan work to build a local landmark.
Their “Gordon Manor,” located in the heart of the Sunshine Hills neighbourhood in North Delta, is a go-to place at Halloween.
“We love doing it, and it’s really a lot of fun for us,” Gord said as he tested lights and straightened decorations last weekend.
The manor name represents Gord's given name and Susan's family name, Gordon.
On Craigslist back in 2012, Sauck spotted a “haunted house” façade for sale and bought it from a Port Coquitlam couple who, as part of the deal, helped put it together on the driveway of his home. Ever since, it’s been temporarily decorated with an ever-expanding assortment of lights, lasers, projected images, thundering sounds and animatronics.
On Halloween night, the street will again be blocked off to allow hundreds of people to safely gather outside.
New at Gordon Manor this year is a Witches’ Den, put together by Susan as Gord worked on the outside elements of the house.
For a second year, the C.H.I.L.D. Foundation will be on site to collect donations for its work to fund research into Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis and liver disorders.
Jamie Hunt, the foundation’s development and project manager, is impressed by the Saucks’ hard work to build Gordon Manor.
“It’s over-the-top great, the best I’ve seen outside of Disneyland,” Hunt enthused. “It’s amazing.”
Last year at Gordon Manor, nearly $800 was collected and donated to the charity, in part through the sale of hot chocolate. This year, draws will be made for dinners at Old Spaghetti Factory, Hunt said.
Gordon Manor is located at 11147 Huff Blvd., just east of the roundabout at Lyon Road.
“We’re always looking to add things and make it a bit more special,” said the Toronto-raised Gord, who operates the Innovative Audio store in Newton.
Photos of Gordon Manor, along with details about its creation, can be found at Facebook.com/gordonmanor.
tom.zillich@thenownewspaper.com