This Montreal kid turned his wheelchair into the Mars Rover for Halloween
Halloween is Emile Laliberte's favourite holiday. Since he was young, he always took great pride in his costumes, but this year's is truly out of this world.
"It's incredible," said the beaming 15-year-old Laliberte, who will take to the neighbourhood streets this Halloween in a special-made Mars Rover costume.
Laliberte uses a wheelchair, which means some costumes are not a great fit. At least, that was the case until he met handyman Robert Murphy and his group, Duct Tapers Anonymous.
In 2018, they got the idea to build a bespoke costume for a child with reduced mobility.
"So we grouped a whole bunch of people, designers, 3D artists, to start working on this," recalls Murphy from his garage workshop.
That's when they met Emile.
"We built a costume according to his specifications, and he wanted to be a dragon, which he named Chad."
The dragon was custom-made to fit around Emile's wheelchair.
Murphy gets emotional when he recalls the first time Emile transformed into Chad, the dragon.
"I go back to that video," said Murphy, his voice cracking. "And I see his face again, just laughing so much. So, yes, it's all worth it."
Emile Laliberte poses in his Halloween costume in Montreal, Sunday, October 28, 2018. In Halloweens past, 10-year-old Emile struggled to find costumes that wouldn't be hidden by his wheelchair.But Laliberte looks to be the envy of all the children on his block as he sets out trick or treating on Oct. 31 as a green dragon with 3D-printed scales, motorized wings and glowing animated eyes to watch over the Styrofoam castle that surrounds his wheelchair.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Graham Hughes
ENTER 'ROLLOWEEN'
From that, Rolloween was born. On Duct Tapers' website, the organization says it will "keep making even more costumes until eventually, we have squads of happy kids rolling all over the Montreal area."
During the pandemic, they took a hiatus but are now back, and so is Emile -- who still loves Halloween.
"We asked him if he still likes to get dressed up, and he told us he did," said Murphy. "So we asked what his dream costume this year would be.'
Emile answered that he now has a new passion: outer space.
He asked if they could turn him into the Mars Rover. The answer was an emphatic yes, and for weeks, the team has been working to nail every last detail.
"Next year, he'll pass it on to another child as we build another costume," said Murphy. "Every year, we'll probably build one more, maybe two more, so eventually, we'll have an entire flotilla of costumes, just rolling on the streets of Montreal."
Murphy hopes Rolloween will inspire others to use their talents to help others.
"Make something nice for someone. Build something, fix something, help a neighbour," he said.
Laliberte plans to do just that. He was so touched by the Rolloween gang that he now wants to become an engineer so one day. he can make someone else's smile beam from ear to ear.
Just like his alter ego, Chad, the dragon.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Live updates: What star witness in Trump hush money case has said on the stand so far
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
Steve Buscemi punched in the face while walking in N.Y.C.
Hollywood actor Steve Buscemi has been treated for injuries after being punched in the face while walking in New York City.
'Be very, very careful': Wildfire conditions 'still extreme,' says Alberta fire chief
As wildfire conditions remain 'extreme' in northern Alberta, residents are being urged to be extra cautious and follow a fire ban.
Wildfire smoke drifts across Canada, over parts of U.S., prompting air quality advisories
Air quality advisories are in effect across Western Canada as smoky conditions plague some areas, according to the latest forecasts. Here's where.
Canucks' Zadorov fined $5,000 for post-game crosscheck on Oilers' McDavid
A Vancouver Canucks defenceman has been given the highest possible fine under the NHL's collective bargaining agreement after a scrum broke out at the end of Game 3 against the Edmonton Oilers Sunday night.
COMING UP @ 3:30 P.M. City of Ottawa negligent in allowing Uber to operate outside of taxi bylaw, judge rules
An Ontario Superior Court judge has ruled that the City of Ottawa was negligent in its enforcement of the city's taxi bylaw when it allowed Uber to begin operating in 2014, harming the city's established taxi industry.
Jerry Seinfeld speech prompts pro-Palestinian demonstration at U.S. university graduation ceremony
A tiny contingent of Duke University graduates opposed pro-Israel comedian Jerry Seinfeld speaking at their commencement in North Carolina Sunday, with about 30 of the 7,000 students leaving their seats and chanting "free Palestine" amid a mix of boos and cheers.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.