Pandemic skilled Santa scarcity results in busy season for B.C.’s ‘Santa Bob’

As COVID-19 continues to limit some vacation gatherings, an expert Santa Claus in British Columbia says he’s by no means been busier.

The pandemic has created a scarcity of Santas, stated ‘Santa Bob’ Cristofoli, who has been dressing up as Jolly Previous St. Nicholas at malls, personal and public occasions since his retirement in 2018.

His calendar is absolutely booked from now till Christmas Eve with a number of bookings on a number of days.

“In reality, tomorrow I’ve a Zoom occasion with a baby from the U.Ok.,” stated Cristofoli.

“It’s the primary time I’ve performed a world Santa occasion and it tells me there may be undoubtedly a scarcity of Santa helpers.”

Cristofoli works for a service referred to as HireaSanta.ca, which has places of work in B.C., Ontario and Alberta.

Rozmin Watson, the corporate’s ‘North Pole operations supervisor,’ stated she’s needed to cancel practically 289 bookings this season.

“We’re simply telling them that we don’t have availability, or we’re absolutely booked.”

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Extra requests for Santas got here on this 12 months than final 12 months, Watson added, doubtless because of the widespread availability of vaccines.

Professionals like Santa Bob, nonetheless, are in shorter provide — a change that got here “abruptly and rapidly” through the pandemic.

“Most of our Santas are within the older age group,” Watson defined. “I’ve had individuals inform me they don’t wish to work this 12 months as a result of they need to have the ability to go to with their grandkids.”

Some retired final 12 months when the pandemic first struck, she stated, whereas others are spending their holidays caring for family members or getting a surgical procedure that was postponed by COVID-19.

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In the meantime, Santas like Cristofoli proceed to satisfy youngsters and households each in particular person and by Zoom.

This 12 months, he stated a glass wall will separate him from children and fogeys, however they’ll have the ability to take their masks off in entrance of the barrier for a photograph.

He additionally has a Christmas tree backdrop for Zoom calls from the North Pole.

The necessity for Santa is larger now than ever, he added, significantly in B.C. the place pure disasters have added to the pressure residents already really feel from COVID-19.

“We had the wildfires within the summertime, we’ve the floods within the [Fraser] Valley. I believe individuals simply need a break … It simply brings pleasure to so many, for folks and kids alike,” he stated.

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