History was made earlier this month when Santa Claus took off without the assistance of reindeer.
Santa, part of a distinguished travelling party that included Saskatchewan Roughriders teammates Brett Lauther and Jorgen Hus, flew to three isolated northern communities via a Beechcraft 1900 twin-engine chartered airplane.
“What’s really important is that the reindeer get plenty of rest before the big day,” says Dan Gold, Rise Air’s Director of Communications and Stakeholder Relations.
“We don’t want to be selfish and wear them out before millions of children around the world expect to receive their presents, so what we do here at Rise Air is offer Santa a lift.
“In that way, Santa is committed, but the reindeer get their rest in. Santa does tend to fly more quickly on Christmas Eve and Christmas morning but, for safety purposes, we fly within the parameters of the aircraft and, actually, he gets a bit more of a rest on the way around.”
The whirlwind tour of northern Saskatchewan began three weeks before Christmas Day when the stars of Santa in the North visited Father Porte Memorial Denesuline School (on Black Lake First Nation) and Stony Rapids Community School.
For Dec. 5, the agenda had included a stop in Wollaston — where Father Megret Elementary School and Father Megret High School are located — but, as Gold puts it, “the weather beat us.”
Having planned ahead in case adverse weather grounded any of the flights, Gold had made arrangements for all the presents (including gift bags, fresh fruit and books by Indigenous authors or artists) to be sent to each location in advance.
It was hoped that a rescheduled stop in Wollaston could be squeezed in on the morning of Dec. 6, just ahead of a visit to Father Gamache Memorial School on Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation.
However, inclement weather was again a factor, so the group headed from Stony Rapids directly to Fond du Lac to wrap up the portion of the trip that included Lauther and Hus.
Santa in the North concluded on Dec. 12, when Gold and Santa embarked for Uranium City on a scheduled Rise Air flight.
“I know there is a desire from the citizens of Uranium City to meet one or two Riders, so we’ll see how the logistics work for next year,” Gold says.
The 23rd annual Santa in the North excursion was organized in collaboration with the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation and three gold-level sponsors — Cameco, Graham Construction and Orano.
“We have some really gracious donors with the Foundation and the Club who go out of their way to make things like this happen,” Lauther says. “Going up north and seeing how big this province is, it’s incredible.”
That was also the takeaway from Roughriders Digital Media Co-ordinator Morgan Fleury, who prepared a video after making an eye-opener of a trip.
“It was cool to see a more-untouched part of Saskatchewan,” she says. “You take off and you see trees and lakes and snow. It’s nice and it’s very pretty.”
The highlight, though, was the interaction of nearly 1,400 youngsters with Santa, Lauther and Hus.
“When people found out the Roughriders were there, they were like, ‘Are they real football players?’ ” Fleury recalls with a laugh.
“I liked seeing the kids’ reactions over getting a teddy bear and getting excited over a visit for Santa.
“Every school was decorated for Santa. They were really decked out.”
Santa and friends visited remote communities that are located near Lake Athabasca. Fond du Lac, Black Lake and Stony Rapids are all within 100 kilometres of the Saskatchewan/Northwest Territories border.
“For many people, there really is more than one Saskatchewan experience,” Gold says. “There is a northern experience and then there is a grasslands and south experience.
“The principal at Stony Rapids Community School, Christina Clarke, told me last year, ‘Santa shouldn’t be just a southern thing. Santa is an experience that each and every child should have a right to be able to see. Up here, a visit from Santa is like a celebrity visit. You cannot understate how important it is.’
“If there’s one thing I love from this event, it’s that it has given me the opportunity to meet so many great people and to understand some of the challenges and opportunities that Saskatchewan has ahead of it to really bring the communities together as one group, identifying and understanding differences.”
Clarke understands the entire equation, having been a part of Santa in the North visits since the long-standing program’s inception.
“It’s just exciting,” says Clarke, who spent 15 years teaching in Black Lake and is now in her eighth year in Stony Rapids.
“They know Santa’s in the building and they look right outside the door. They said, ‘When it is my turn? When do we get to go?’
“It isn’t just about the gifts. It’s about Santa being there. A lot of kids in our community don’t get to see Santa.
“If they travel south, they might get to see Santa in the mall, but Santa comes to our school and brings gifts. They don’t have to be very expensive gifts. It’s just the joy of having Santa come to our school.
“Our school decorated right after Remembrance Day. We had ‘Santa’s coming!’ on our school page.”
When Santa, Lauther and Hus arrived, they were welcomed by everyone and served a meal consisting of soup and bannock.
“The Roughriders’ players were really good,” Clarke says. “They wanted to stay longer, because it’s such a nice school.
“It’s like a home here. This is like the centre of our community. Everything happens at the school.”
That was one of many things that the Roughriders’ representatives appreciated and enjoyed as they toured some of Saskatchewan’s northernmost areas.
“You see how much it means to the kids and how different of a world it is up there,” Lauther says.
“Everyone always thanks us but, when we go up there, the kids and their smiles and everything they say and all the interactions make us feel 10 times better. It’s gratifying to put smiles on people’s faces, and vice versa. The whole time, we’re having a lot of fun.
“The kids are the best. It’s not just the smiles and everything. They’re just so funny. They’ll just say anything, too, so it’s always laughs and it’s always hilarious.
“I love working with the kids and being in the schools and doing trips like this.”
The feeling was mutual.
“We’re very fortunate that the Saskatchewan Roughriders and the Foundation are passionate about trying to reach as many people in Saskatchewan as possible in a meaningful way,” Gold says. “From the perspective of Santa and Rise Air in the north, it was truly our honour to be able to offer a ride and bring them along.
“When we look at the Saskatchewan Roughriders being Saskatchewan’s team, it really does mean for all citizens, regardless of if you are in the top of the province, east, west or south. The Riders are our team.
“For the children, there was smile after smile. For the kids who are a little bit older who are into following the sports and who are passionate about sports, it was not just the Santa visit that made a difference.
“When it came to Brett and Jorgen visiting, it was just the absolute icing on the cake. I’m so glad to have witnessed that and to have heard back from the kids on their experience. A number of them got shirts or caps signed as well.
“It was something that made a special event even more special.”
