Giant Grinch inflatable owner hopes to transform Toronto street into Whoville

An inflatable of the Grinch is perched outside of a house at the corner of Fairford and Rhodes avenues in Toronto (Supplied).

The owner of a nine foot inflatable Grinch is aiming to transform his Toronto street into the Christmas-obsessed whimsical town of Whoville next holiday season.

“I’m hoping to get more of the neighborhood interested on Rhodes Avenue to get a whole lot of Whoville related inflatables,” Bill Kennedy told CTV News Toronto on Wednesday.

His family moved into a pale green house at the corner of Fairford and Rhodes avenues in May 2021. Typically, Kennedy said he tries to get to know his neighbours, but pandemic restrictions placed a roadblock in those plans.

“We wanted to say it’s a fun family moving in,” he said.

In an effort to communicate that message to the rest of his block, Kennedy pumped air into a nine foot inflatable ghost, who later became known as Casper to a little boy in the neighbourhood.

“For Halloween, it started as a COVID measure but it was just so much fun,” Kennedy said. “I used a pipe from the deck down to the ground which we called the candy shoot.”

The triumph of their Halloween festivities evoked the idea for Whoville, the fictional town featured in “The Grinch,” based on Dr. Seuss’ book.

A ghost inflatable is seen outside of Bill Kennedy's house in Toronto (Supplied).

Kennedy’s vision of a street dotted with the infamous green Christmas cynic was also inspired by Kringlewood, the Toronto neighbourhood south of St Clair Avenue East populated by oversized inflatable Santas.

Next year, Kennedy is hoping to do the same, but with Grinch and Whoville creatures, including adding a six foot inflatable Cindy Lou Who to his own collection.

With price tags in the hundreds for these giant blow-ups, depending on their size, he’s researching a volume discount for neighbours who want to get involved.

“It’s a way of getting to meet people,” Kennedy said.