Dinosaurs roam Airdrie streets, lifting spirits and bringing smiles

Three Airdrie, Alta., children are the talk of the town after putting on dinosaur costumes to make people smile during COVID-19 isolations.

"Lots of cars have been honking, people have been waving and saying 'Hi' and taking pictures," Mia McConnell, 10, told CBC News.

• WATCH Airdrie children bring smiles to a pandemic-weary community in the video at the top of this story.

"It's really fun to see all the smiling faces."

Mia and her brother Cale, 9, and sister Grace, 12, roam around their community, Sagewood, for a couple of hours each day as a way to distract people from being stuck in their homes.

"I liked doing it because all of the people who are upset because they can't see family or go on vacation or go to work, it just kind of made their day a bit happier and that is what made my day happier," Grace said.

"We did it because we felt people would be in a bad mood and when people are in a bad mood, it gets other people in bad moods. It is not good. So it is better to have people in a good mood."

It started with a Halloween costume Mia had from a couple of years ago. Then Cale got one. Then their mom's friend donated a third.

Now the trio is well known in the community, thanks to social media. They even take requests to make a safe-from-a-distance appearance at a child's birthday party.

"It's kind of like Jurassic Park coming to them instead of them coming to Jurassic Park," Mia explained.

But smiles aside, the three siblings are taking safety seriously.

"Normally we would move to one side of the sidewalk. If there is a stroller, we would move," Mia said.

Cale said their neighbourhood walks are also for some unsung heroes.

"After a hard day helping people with coronavirus, if I was a first responder, I would be tired, probably sit in bed, but if I saw [dinosaurs walking the streets], that would spark my day way happier," he said.