'The joy of this art': Balloon dragon invades St. Albert mall
Just in time for Halloween, a new display inside St. Albert Centre mall is sure to make shoppers stop and stare.
That's because it's not every October you see more than 3,000 balloons depicting a brave knight fighting off a fire breathing dragon for a chest of treasure.
"For me that is the joy of this art, is to make people happy. And it's amazing what a balloon will do for people. It's associated with fun and excitement and youth and festivities," said Glen LaValley, also known as The Balloon Guy.
LaValley said it's all the work of a banker turned balloon maker.
"I design something I think will appeal to my client and I get their feedback and once I have it nailed down then I work on the details on how to construct. Then I build my team based on the talents I require for the work," LaValley explained.
LaValley can do all the usual balloons like birthday party animals. But his passion is the grand balloon display using multiple techniques and dozens of vibrant colours and shapes that fit into one another to make unique scenes.
The Dragon Dungeon will be on display until Nov. 1 or until the balloons deflate or pop.
But that likely won’t happen because this balloon artist double stuffs each balloon to increase strength and longevity.
"By putting one balloon inside the other, as you can see, it's very stiff and solid. it's harder to work with but your product will last longer," LaValley said.
Shoppers are invited to stop by, take a selfie with the knight and or dragon, and upload for a chance to win a gift card.
With files from CTV News Edmonton's Alison MacKinnon
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.