BARRIE, ONT. -- Volunteers with the Rotary Club of Barrie are putting the finishing touches on the annual Festival of Trees.

Rotarians have spent the last seven weeks hanging 480 stands of lights along Barrie's waterfront.

But the process has been slowed down a little by vandals, on two legs and on four.

John Laking with the Rotary Club says there's been damage to 11 of 18 trees.

"Nature takes its toll, and I think the squirrels enjoy chewing on some of these lines too. But the worst is the ground ones. We can see that they've been obviously cut.

But Laking says all 33,000 bulbs will be ready to glow come Friday.

The illumination typically coincides with Barrie's Santa Claus Parade, but the parade has been cancelled over pandemic concerns.