Running a thriving feed and tack business is just horse sense for Meredith Dean, owner of the Trading Post Feed and Tack store in Cassidy, south of Nanaimo.
The store sells what its name implies, but if the sign on the front of the building doesn乌鸦传媒檛 catch the notice of motorists passing by on the Trans Canada Highway, a horse mannequin named Cantelope nearly always does. Dean dresses up the horse in costumes for almost every occasion and holiday and sets it out next to the highway in front of her store.
Over the years Cantelope 乌鸦传媒� so named because it 乌鸦传媒渃an乌鸦传媒檛 lope乌鸦传媒� according to a story on the store乌鸦传媒檚 website 乌鸦传媒� has been decked out in Christmas and Halloween outfits, decorated for St. Patrick乌鸦传媒檚 Day and Valentine乌鸦传媒檚 Day and was even wore a homemade space suit and helmet for the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing.
Most recently Dean took a cue from the COVID-19 epidemic and dressed up Cantelope as B.C. provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, attired in a white blouse under a bright pink sweater, a red and white necklace, homemade pink and red pumps and a blonde wig. A speaker乌鸦传媒檚 podium with fake microphones completed the set-up.
Dean chose to pay tribute to Henry out of admiration for the doctor乌鸦传媒檚 calm demeanour during her daily pandemic briefings broadcast over the past few months.
乌鸦传媒淪he乌鸦传媒檚 so calm and reassuring and when she tells you to do something you just want to do what she says,乌鸦传媒� Dean said. 乌鸦传媒淪he乌鸦传媒檚 kind of like a mom. Everybody loves her.乌鸦传媒�
The image of Cantelope dressed as Henry posted on the store乌鸦传媒檚 Facebook page drew a lot of attention.
乌鸦传媒淭here was over 23,000 views of that,乌鸦传媒� Dean said. 乌鸦传媒淭hat was the absolute most we乌鸦传媒檝e ever had and the comments are amazing, how much everybody loves Bonnie Henry.乌鸦传媒�
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Passersby stopped in daily, sometimes even taking the effort to take the U-turn route at Nanaimo Airport on the divided highway to double back and take selfies and snaps of friends and family with the horse.
乌鸦传媒淪o many people have stopped and taken their picture. We乌鸦传媒檇 say, hey we乌鸦传媒檝e got a customer, but no, they乌鸦传媒檙e just getting their picture taken with Bonnie Henry,乌鸦传媒� Dean said.
Dean said friends of the doctor even stopped in to take photos, and confirmed that how Henry appears on TV is how she is all the time.
乌鸦传媒淲e were a little afraid she乌鸦传媒檇 be offended if she saw herself, as a horse, dressed up, and the hair, but they said, 乌鸦传媒極h, no. She乌鸦传媒檚 got a great sense of humour,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮綕 Dean said.
As of Monday, Cantelope switched costumes for Father乌鸦传媒檚 Day, into a black wig, black moustache and coveralls and a smaller horse, Honeydew, is beside him wearing a pink wig and a tutu.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a father-daughter thing,乌鸦传媒� Dean said.
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