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One hates to be critical of the fundraising efforts of a hospital in this age of chronic government underfunding, but I just can’t help it in the case of St. Paul’s annual “Lights of Hope” campaign.

Annually at this time of year, I hope that the display wil not be re-erected, and am always disappointed. If you haven’t seen it, it is comprised of a wall of scaffolding, such as the type used in the repair of leaky condos, except without the synthetic covering that prevents moisture from hitting the exposed surfaces during the repairs. Here is a photograph that I stole from a website that actually promotes this visual assault as a tourist attraction (click for a larger view):

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This is a picture from last year, so the new addition this year is not visible. The gap that you can see to the right of the tree is a tunnel through the scaffolding, allowing pedestrians access to the hospital entrance. This year, the tunnel has been rounded and filled with white lights. It’s rather a disturbing feature, not so much because the healthy people who walk through it are apt to expect to encounter a Siegfried and Roy show upon reaching the interior, but because if sick people walk through – not an entirely unlikely possibility, considering the nature of the business – they may in their general terror mistake the white lights for the entranceway to heaven upon their demise (however hellish the scene).

I’m not sure what’s worse – seeing it at night, all aglow, or during the day, when it looks like a poorly assembled construction site. And this in honour of Christ’s birth? The poor old Sisters of Providence must surely be spinning in their graves, their life work having been turned over to the management of an ad agency of questionable taste (like there are any ad agencies of impeccable taste!).

As someone who is a bit cynical about politics, I can’t help but think that the wretched display is a plot by the provincial ministry of health to engender public support for the proposed move of the hospital to the Terminal street flats, which is apparently being opposed by local activists, despite the fact that the local activists have also opposed efforts to increase the size of the hospital on the existing site, claiming that the shade created by a tall building would darken the character of the neighbourhood. You see? By blinding locals with this high-wattage monstrosity, the government will not only make West Enders craving for the relative darkness of a tower, but justify the building of additional dams to generate electricity, which is in higher demand for some inexplicable reason.

Here’s an idea for next year’s campaign: promise local residents that the Christmas scaffolding won’t be erected if sufficient funds are raised by November 15th. Even I would contribute to that worthy goal!