The Ogilvy's Christmas window, a Christmastime fixture at the corner of Ste. Catherine and Mountain Sts. since 1947, won't return to the corner in 2018.
The iconic mechanical display will live on, however — the figurines and the machinery have been donated to the McCord Museum, which will set up its own Christmas display in November.
Ogilvy's is in the process of merging its operations with those of Holt Renfrew. The building is being expanded and will eventually house a newly-rebranded Holt Renfrew Ogilvy store by 2020.
Ogilvy's owners say doing away with the Christmas window is an issue of space, and the fact that the machinery is old an in need of repair. They've also donated $50,000 to the museum's foundation to cover maintenance costs.
The decision comes a few months after the newly merged entity of Holt Renfrew and Ogilvy's killed off another longstanding tradition at the store — having bagpipers march through the store at lunchtime.
That decision led to widespread outrage, including a petition drive, and also led to fears the Christmas window would be the next thing to go.