TORONTO - A battle is brewing in an Oshawa neighbourhood over candy -- or the lack of it on Halloween night.
A man who lives in the city east of Toronto says a letter left in his mailbox the day after Halloween took him to task for failing to shell out.
Tom Ibbitson, 26, who wasn't home on Halloween night, says the letter signed by "Children of the Hood" left him feeling "pretty upset and angry."
The letter complains that the previous resident made candy apples for neighbourhood trick-or-treaters but this year there was sweet nothing.
It suggests he "rectify this for next year" by giving out chocolate bars and warns that unpackaged apples or chips aren't welcome.
Ibbitson has responded by posting the letter on the classified website Kijiji and asking its author to come forward.
Judging by the look of the letter, it likely came from a disgruntled parent, rather than a child, he said Tuesday.
Ibbitson, who just bought his first house, says he is new to the neighbourhood and hasn't got to know many of his neighbours yet. But he said they should respect his choice not to give out candy.
He posted his own letter on the Kijiji site under the heading: "Dear Children of Entitlement (and likely their parents)."
"You have gone ahead and reminded me of why I do not want children, and why I weep for the future," the letter states.
He goes on to explain he was not home on Halloween "and therefore was not available to hand out candy."
While he's received no clues so far about who wrote the note, he said he's had hundreds of emails from people supporting him.
There have been a few people who disagreed with his tactic of posting the letter and also some threats, Ibbitson said. But he's been heartened by the support he's received.
"At first I didn't really know how to feel ... am I wrong for not handing out candy to the children in the community? Or am I right for just living my life and doing what I do?"
The Kijiji post had more than 110,000 visits as of late Tuesday.
