January 2026 - Nuggets - Christmas Gala

A lot of holidays and special events run for only one day. Not so with Christmas. At least not at RE/MAX Garden City Realty. Things actually start to ramp up in mid-November. That’s when the announcement goes out to our agents and staff reminding them of Christmas Caring and Sharing, and that’s when the donations begin. Then, about that time tree trimming in our offices begins and especially in our Grimsby office, where we also enjoy the annual Christmas Pot Luck. Always an amazing event. But the culmination of it all is always our Annual Christmas Gala. And this year marked our 41st such event. Of course, they have evolved a great deal over the years. From an informal get-together and gift exchange that first year to the formal event we enjoy today. For over 20 years, when we had our Burlington/Waterdown offices in operation, we actually hosted two separate Christmas Galas. And each moved from one location to another over the years. For the last 10 years, however, after the sale of our Burlington division, we have concentrated our party in Niagara. But here too we have seen a lot of change over the years. For many years, we held the event in Niagara Falls. Most memorably at the Commissioners Quarters on the waterfront, where we ended the party and came out to an inch of ice on our cars from continual spray from the Falls. More recently, we moved to the St. Catharines Golf and Country Club. A charming setting with a fireplace aglow and windows looking out over the rolling hills. Then, a couple of years ago, we relocated to our current location, Club Roma, which is working out wonderfully. They have a number of conference rooms to choose from, but for us, the Starlight room fits our needs most precisely. Beautifully decorated for Christmas and as the name suggests, a ceiling alit with stars, it’s enchanting. Warm apple cider punch greeted the guests as they arrived, followed by a gathering at the bar and a careful preview of the amazing dessert display put on by Bel and Jenny of our office and also of Donut Depot Bakery. It’s hard to describe the extent of the dessert selection and the elaborate detail they went to in setting things up. And as always, the food at Club Roma was outstanding. Salads galore, pastas as well as turkey with all the trimmings and a prime rib carving station. Be assured, nobody went hungry. For a number of years, we’ve had unique centrepieces for each table. And for a number of years, they were handcrafted by Rachel Woolcot. But last year, we came across lovely snow globe lanterns that could be illuminated by design by plugging into a wall, but jury-rigged for our purposes to work with batteries. This year, following on that theme, we found Nostalgic Ceramic Christmas trees, which we again illuminated by battery to suit individual tables. At each table setting, there was a number, and after dinner, a draw was made to see at each table who would take the Christmas tree centrepiece home with them. Following dinner, the lights were dimmed. The music turned up, and people danced, visited, shared a drink and nibbled on dessert, the night away. We have been fortunate to be able to secure a weekend date in mid-December for our Christmas party. Close enough to Christmas to seem festive but not so close that family travel is compromised. Traditionally, on a Friday night, this year, we were able to move it to Saturday. Always a good turnout, but this year even more so. No doubt the Saturday was a factor. Watching the interaction, you can’t help but feel proud of the wonderful group of people we have here at RE/MAX Garden City Realty Inc. Outstanding salespeople, amazing support staff. And great chemistry. They really enjoy each other's company. Not just as co-workers, but as a family. We are blessed. So many events reinforce the positive culture we enjoy, but none more so than our Christmas Gala.