'We just appreciate that they were willing to pivot': Santa spreads joy despite COVID-19
In a COVID-stricken world, even Santa has to abide by the rules.
For the second year in a row, the man in red has been meeting with kids on the nice list virtually via Zoom.
By renting out a studio in Lethbridge, Santa in also now able to take on private bookings for those who want to get a photo with him.
"This year, we've just opened up and we're just doing a few studio photo shoots, and that kind of stuff," said Santa.
And he’s doing this out of the kindness of his heart.
“Just to keep things going, keep the kids going and keeping the hope of Christmas alive here in Lethbridge.”
Admittedly, Santa described getting the studio set up under a short amount of time as a “big challenge.”
“But I’ve got some good elves, and man they pulled it off fast,” said Santa.
“It was unbelievable how fast they worked and what we got done.”
SAFETY TOP OF MIND
COVID-19 safety is top of mind for Santa. Kids can't sit on his lap for photos and everyone needs to be masked.
That doesn't bother the Gunderson family who were delighted that their daughter got to meet Santa for the first time this year.
“I think we just appreciate that they were willing to pivot,” said Ashlyn.
“This is our baby's first Christmas, so, we'd be very sad if we didn't get the opportunity to see Santa at all.”
For Ashlyn’s husband Rob, skipping all the commotion at the mall during the busy holiday season was what sold him.
“Yeah, it definitely felt safer for sure, and more intimate, and it was a little cozier honestly. Instead of the big-mall picture and big lineup, it was kind of nice to get in the little house setting and yeah, cozy that way,” described Rob
SANTA CANCELLED
Park Place Mall cancelled Santa’s appearance for a second year running, due to COVID-19 concerns.
That was disappointing for many eager to share their wish list with ol' St. Nick.
“I’m 10 now, so I’ve been doing it for quite a long time,” said 10-year-old Ella.
“It doesn't help that I have a new baby sister, and since there’s no mall this year, we can't start that tradition for her and it’s her first Christmas, so it’s really disappointing.”
Santa has been doing photos with children in the Park Place Mall for 28 years, and he’s hopeful next year things will look a little more normal again.
To book a virtual meeting with Santa, visit www.callfromsanta.ca
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Bodies found by U.S. authorities searching for missing B.C. kayakers
United States authorities who have been searching for a pair of missing kayakers from British Columbia since the weekend have recovered two bodies in the nearby San Juan Islands of Washington state.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
'It's discriminatory': Individuals refused entry to Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
Individuals being barred from entering Ontario’s legislature while wearing a keffiyeh say the garment is part of their cultural identity— and the only ones making it political are the politicians banning it.
BREAKING Mounties will not be charged in shooting death of B.C. Indigenous man
Three Mounties in British Columbia will not face charges in the killing of a 38-year-old Indigenous man on Vancouver Island in 2021.
Canada's favourite sport to watch is hockey, survey shows
The 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs have already delivered a fever level of fan excitement in Canada.
Douglas DC-4 plane with 2 people on board crashes into river outside Fairbanks, Alaska
A Douglas C-54 Skymaster airplane crashed into the Tanana River near Fairbanks on Tuesday, Alaska State Troopers said.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
'It's just so hard to let it go': Umar Zameer still haunted by death of Toronto police officer
“It's just so hard to let it go. I mean, everyone is telling me, ‘you have to move on,’ but I know someone is not here [anymore]. So I don't know how I will move on." That’s what Umar Zameer, the man recently acquitted in the death of a Toronto police officer, told CTV News Toronto in a sit-down interview on Tuesday.
NASA hears from Voyager 1, the most distant spacecraft from Earth, after months of quiet
NASA has finally heard back from Voyager 1 again in a way that makes sense. The most distant spacecraft from Earth hadn't sent home any understandable data since last November.