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 doesnsa国际传媒檛 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 sa国际传媒� so named because it sa国际传媒渃ansa国际传媒檛 lopesa国际传媒� according to a story on the storesa国际传媒檚 website sa国际传媒� has been decked out in Christmas and Halloween outfits, decorated for St. Patricksa国际传媒檚 Day and Valentinesa国际传媒檚 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 speakersa国际传媒檚 podium with fake microphones completed the set-up.
Dean chose to pay tribute to Henry out of admiration for the doctorsa国际传媒檚 calm demeanour during her daily pandemic briefings broadcast over the past few months.
sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 so calm and reassuring and when she tells you to do something you just want to do what she says,sa国际传媒� Dean said. sa国际传媒淪hesa国际传媒檚 kind of like a mom. Everybody loves her.sa国际传媒�
The image of Cantelope dressed as Henry posted on the storesa国际传媒檚 Facebook page drew a lot of attention.
sa国际传媒淭here was over 23,000 views of that,sa国际传媒� Dean said. sa国际传媒淭hat was the absolute most wesa国际传媒檝e ever had and the comments are amazing, how much everybody loves Bonnie Henry.sa国际传媒�
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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.
sa国际传媒淪o many people have stopped and taken their picture. Wesa国际传媒檇 say, hey wesa国际传媒檝e got a customer, but no, theysa国际传媒檙e just getting their picture taken with Bonnie Henry,sa国际传媒� 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.
sa国际传媒淲e were a little afraid shesa国际传媒檇 be offended if she saw herself, as a horse, dressed up, and the hair, but they said, sa国际传媒極h, no. Shesa国际传媒檚 got a great sense of humour,sa国际传媒檚a国际传媒� Dean said.
As of Monday, Cantelope switched costumes for Fathersa国际传媒檚 Day, into a black wig, black moustache and coveralls and a smaller horse, Honeydew, is beside him wearing a pink wig and a tutu.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 a father-daughter thing,sa国际传媒� Dean said.
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