Santa in the North continues to spread Christmas joy to remote communities

Dec 12, 2024 | 5:00 PM

Santa in the North, an annual endeavor organized by Rise Air, delivered more gifts than ever to young children and teens this month.

“We are in a very unique position as we are not only 100 per cent Indigenous-owned by the communities that Rise Air serves, but from the perspective of doing the right thing and supporting the communities and being present is incredibly important,” said Dan Gold, the director of communications and stakeholder relations with Rise Air.

“Each and every year, we see opportunities ahead of us. One thing we want to make sure of is that we are dependable in the sense of getting Santa to the North, delivering these gifts and giving the children the experience they always look forward to. That’s something that really builds connections between us as transportation for the community and our people who work across all of our bases.”

Santa in the North began Dec. 2 with stops in Black Lake and Stony Rapids, followed by Fond du Lac, Uranium City and Wollaston Lake on Dec. 10 and 11.

Students and those in daycare in each community received an Indigenous authored or illustrated book, candy canes and mandarin oranges, while the youngest children were also gifted small age-appropriate items such as toys and cards games. Some were even lucky enough to be given interactive tablets.

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Gold explained approximately 1,540 gifts were delivered. That’s up from 1,300 gifts just two years ago.

Many children throughout Canada look forward to a visit from Santa in December. (Submitted photo/Dan Gold)

“I think as with previous years, the actual visit of Santa to be there by the Christmas tree in each school, that interaction is gold,” he said.

“It’s like something I haven’t seen before. It’s a really special moment.”

In addition to the gifts and a visit from Santa, Saskatchewan Roughriders were also present to make the occasion even more special. The Santa in the North crew were joined by Roughriders Charbel Dabire, Peter Godber, Klan Schaffer- Baker and Jorgen Hus. During their time at each school, the football players delivered programming on literacy and reading, or mental health.

“This year’s Santa in the North has been one of the most amazing events on top of year after year of delivering this,” Gold added.

“We have faced weather challenges, we have faced other issues, but we were committed to get into every location. This year was the first year we were able to take the Saskatchewan Roughriders into every location as well.”

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derek.cornet@pattisonmedia.com

by Derek Cornet

Santa in the North continues to spread Christmas joy to remote communities

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