A local couple has rescued Santa from the P.A. landfill. (submitted photo/ Wendy Fyrk)

By Charlene Tebbutt

Goodbye St. Nick

Santa finds a new home after getting dumped by the city

Apr 9, 2019 | 4:56 PM

Jolly Old St. Nick has found a new home after being discarded in the local landfill.

A 10-foot-tall Santa Claus that stood for years at the entrance to Prince Albert was discarded earlier this month by the city. But the fibreglass and papier maché structure wasn’t there for long before it was rescued by a local couple, who plan to fix it and restore it to its original lustre.

Don and Wendy Fyrk noticed the Santa Claus last Friday while hauling trash to the city landfill. Don Fyrk, reeve of the Rural Municipality of Buckland, said he has fond memories of the holiday statue from his childhood and is confident it can be pieced back together.

“We could see him standing on top of a hill, waving to everybody, and we just thought it was kind of a shame that they would get rid of such an icon like that,” Fyrk said.

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The Santa Claus has seen better days. Its hands are damaged, its eyes are gone, and the back of its head is missing. Tim Yeaman, parks manager with the City of Prince Albert, said an assessment of the 30-year-old statue showed the structure would have taken a lot of time and energy to repair.

“It was just in really bad shape,” Yeaman said. “If we’re going to represent the city, we want to do it well, we want to make sure that we have the best display up there [and] we just decided that wasn’t the best way to represent the city.”

Don Fyrk loads the Santa Claus onto a trailer. (submitted photo/Wendy Fyrk)

Yeaman said the city is happy Santa was rescued though. The city is looking at options for a new holiday display for the 2019 Christmas season, he added.

Santa has “given the community lots of joy and he’s been a great part of our community, but as with everything, we always have to look at new opportunities,” Yeaman said. “If somebody’s able to repair him and they have the time and energy to invest, we just wish them the best.”

Don and Wendy Fyrk say they plan to document their work as they restore the Santa Claus.

“Santa holds so many memories for so many people,” Fyrk added. “Maybe somebody under 40 wouldn’t remember him, but anybody over 40, we’ve all got a sentimental attachment to him.”

(submitted photo/Wendy Fyrk)

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Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt