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鈥檛 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 鈥� so named because it 鈥渃an鈥檛 lope鈥� according to a story on the store鈥檚 website 鈥� has been decked out in Christmas and Halloween outfits, decorated for St. Patrick鈥檚 Day and Valentine鈥檚 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鈥檚 podium with fake microphones completed the set-up.
Dean chose to pay tribute to Henry out of admiration for the doctor鈥檚 calm demeanour during her daily pandemic briefings broadcast over the past few months.
鈥淪he鈥檚 so calm and reassuring and when she tells you to do something you just want to do what she says,鈥� Dean said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 kind of like a mom. Everybody loves her.鈥�
The image of Cantelope dressed as Henry posted on the store鈥檚 Facebook page drew a lot of attention.
鈥淭here was over 23,000 views of that,鈥� Dean said. 鈥淭hat was the absolute most we鈥檝e ever had and the comments are amazing, how much everybody loves Bonnie Henry.鈥�
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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.
鈥淪o many people have stopped and taken their picture. We鈥檇 say, hey we鈥檝e got a customer, but no, they鈥檙e just getting their picture taken with Bonnie Henry,鈥� 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.
鈥淲e were a little afraid she鈥檇 be offended if she saw herself, as a horse, dressed up, and the hair, but they said, 鈥極h, no. She鈥檚 got a great sense of humour,鈥欌�� Dean said.
As of Monday, Cantelope switched costumes for Father鈥檚 Day, into a black wig, black moustache and coveralls and a smaller horse, Honeydew, is beside him wearing a pink wig and a tutu.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a father-daughter thing,鈥� Dean said.
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