The Ogilvy Window: When commercial makes way for traditional

Walking down crowded St-Catherine St. dodging shopping bags, bodies with eyes downturned at cellphones and, who knows, maybe even a selfie stick, it may seem impossible to make it down the block, let alone take in a little joy. Once a year, however, a passerby may find reason to pause.

A wooden mill cranks in circles, illuminated by little Christmas lights and a myriad of fantastic, furry creatures. The Ogilvy window.

This year’s display is called “Mill in the Forest” and alternates with “The Enchanted Village,” though no matter the name or setting, people can’t help but take in the mechanical tradition, created by German toy company, Steiff, in 1947.

When the scene was unveiled with jingly carolers and a red carpet on Nov. 13, grey-haired Rachelle’s hands were resting on her five-year-old grandson’s shoulders.

Normally, Rachelle brings her two daughters to see the window every year, but this occasion was Massamiliano’s initiation into the family tradition. “It’s a part of our culture,” she said.

When the curtain finally parted, the crowd cheered and gasped, and little Massamiliano seemed shy to approach. But in the same way that it takes a village to raise a child, the gathered bodies hung back and let the children move up to inspect the glass. For us adults in the crowd, it’s a nostalgic moment, but the day belongs to the children experiencing a magical world behind glass for the first time.

The grand son kept pointing to his favourite creature: a little bunny in a Santa costume, hanging off the mill. Rachelle, however, refused to single out any of the fairy-tale like characters. “It’s not right. They’re all special,” she said.

Some stories around the spectacle are a little more slapstick. Steeve Lapierre was a junior associate 29 years ago when he received one of his first assignments: setting up the window. “I had no experience and they just threw me in. I had no idea where to start.”

He took a step ladder and placed it in the centre of the pond, but when he put his foot down, CRACK. The ladder went straight though the glass.

Call it a Christmas miracle, but Lapierre was not fired. In fact, he’s been the vice president of Ogilvy’s for the last 10 years.

Every year, Lapierre feels like he takes part in something bigger than the retail giant, he confided. “It’s not a store window, it’s a Christmas icon. It belongs to the city,” he said.

Lapierre’s favourite part of the scene? The jumping frogs.

Mill in the Forest will be stopping people in their tracks on Ste-Catherine St. W. and de la Montagne St. until the first week of January.