'Christmas Carolling Truck' bringing joy to rural Alberta residents

OLDS, ALTA. -

Two men from Olds, Alta. are using their festive spirit to spread some seasonal cheer in their community – and throughout southern Alberta.

Walter Moebis and Clint Jackson have a white pickup truck with a large speaker mounted on the roof playing Christmas tunes.

Jackson has painted themed murals on the truck and it's decorated with Santa and his sleigh, some garland and lots of lights.

"We're just doing something out of the kindness of our hearts to cheer other people up and it helps cheer us up too," said Jackson.

"There's so much negativity in the world and a lot of bad news sometimes, but this is good news and that's what we like to do."

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Moebis says he and Jackson first decorated the truck for the Olds’ Christmas parade. But the parade was shelved during the pandemic, so the two took their Christmas music-playing truck to residential streets.

This is their third year of continuing the new holiday tradition and they've expanded it.

"We've gone to Airdrie, we've gone to Drumheller, we've gone to Beiseker, we've gone to Innisfail and every little town in between," said Moebis.

"Every time we're out, we go to the senior citizens' lodges, we make sure we're there at mealtime when they're in their common area and we can drive by real slow and wave to them out the window and they just love it."

But the first highway trip was a bit of an adventure because the truck was decorated for slow-speed trips and everything needed to be secured better.

"Probably two or three years ago, I think it was and we're going to head out from Olds and we're going to go to Sundre that afternoon," said Jackson.

"We made it about two miles out of town and there were teddy bears flying off the truck and candy canes."

Jackson says he enjoys freshening up his paintings every year and giving the truck a different look.

"I don't like driving around doing nothing and Walter does," he said. "So I get all paint all the time, I love painting."

Moebis' wife Sam now rides beside him in the truck and loves waving to all the people when they see it coming down the street.

She's earned the nickname of 'DJ Sam' because she's responsible for the Christmas playlist.

"If we're pulling up to the elementary school, well Jingle Bells is an absolute hit, Santa Claus is Coming to Town too," she said. "When we're going around by the senior lodges during the meal hours, then I'll put on some old Christmas tunes, Bing Crosby, Buck Owens like we've got either or."

The three have earned the Citizen Volunteer of the Year Award from the mayor of Olds for their work with The Christmas Carolling Truck.

Walter says he's honoured but he does it for the reaction from people when they hear the truck coming.

"I get smiles, I get love for myself and for everybody else," he said. "I just love getting smiles from everybody."

Sam says even the cows and horses appreciate the music coming from the truck.

"We drive from Olds to Didsbury on the back road, and we'll come across some cattle and their backs are to us," she said. "They're eating and all of a sudden, they'll hear us coming and their heads go up, and they literally are looking around and we'll get that from the horses too, it's like, I can't my heart can't get enough of it."

The truck runs from mid-November to New Year's Day, but it's re-decorated for Valentine's Day and Halloween.