Pictured above: Northern Store Manager Edwin Knott and his family all dressed up and ready to start the parade, and some of the gifts and candy bags donated by Northern to give to the children.

Santa Claus made a little stop in Sapotaweyak Cree Nation, MB before Christmas, holding a parade for the children of the community on December 13.

Sapotaweyak Northern Store hosted the Santa Parade, plus a Bingo game, for the children in the community and children at heart. Northern Store Manager Edwin Knott with the help of the store staff organized everything quickly, packing over 70 gifts and preparing about 200 candy bags to be given to the children along the parade. They also put together the bingo cards to be given to adults at the parade. 

With Knott dressed as Santa, with help from his family – wife Lori playing the role of Mrs. Claus and son Edwin Jr. playing a Santa’s helper elf – the parade started at 4:30 p.m. from Beardy’s Point (also known as Neeyack) and headed to Roy Hamilton road, ending at 8 p.m. Over 200 children attended the parade, receiving a gift and a candy bag, and adults were treated with a free bingo card which offered the opportunity to win a food hamper.

“It was an awesome and great experience hosting a Santa Parade, seeing all the kids smiling and waving at Santa,” said Knott. “The community members also enjoyed the free hamper bingo. Overall it was an awesome feeling knowing that we made the community members happy.”

Pictured above, from left: Santa gave away small presents and candies to the kids watching the parade (left); One of the kids who received a gift from Santa; Santa with Delores Campeau, winner of the bingo.

At the parade, everyone was encouraged to follow Covid-19 restrictions – keeping their distance while waiting near the road, and staying in their bubble. To ensure everyone’s safety the bingo was held over the radio where Delores Campeau turned out to be the lucky winner of the food hamper (donated by the Knott family). Santa himself happily presented the gift to the lucky winner.

“It was nice to see the kids come out to see Santa, and especially the Elders coming to get their free bingo cards,” said Lori Knott. “We felt really appreciated. I hope we can do something like this again in the future. It was fun!”