The 24th annual Santa in the North has delivered smiles across Saskatchewan’s north.

May 13, 2025 in Giving Back
Explorer: Spring 2025

Contributed by Rise Air

Every child received a gift bag containing a book from an Indigenous author or illustrator, a healthy snack—a traditional mandarin—and a candy cane. For children from daycare to elementary school, additional age-appropriate gifts were included in the bags.

Last year, we committed to having Santa attend all schools; however, bad weather prevented our visit to the Hatchet Lake community. This year, we fulfilled that promise. In addition, the Saskatchewan Roughriders Foundation participated in Uranium City, allowing the players to meet the children and deliver mental wellness and literacy programming to all locations.

Rise Air wishes to thank the following partners for joining us to make Christmas in the North even more special: Graham Construction, Orano, Cameco Corporation, Athabasca Basin Development, Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority, Points Athabasca Contracting LP, the Saskatchewan Roughrider Foundation, Saskatoon Co-op, Fermi Exploration, KPCL Dirt Movers (Kelly Panteluk Construction Ltd.), Uranium City Bulk Fuel, our media partner, Eagle Feather News, and our colleagues at Snowbird Aviation Services and Rise Air.

Literacy provides a lasting gift through the Indigenous-authored and illustrated books given to the children. Athabasca Basin Development, Optek Solutions, Team Drilling, Flyer Electric, Points Athabasca Contracting LP, Points North Group of Companies, Athabasca Basin Security, Long Lake Insurance, and Arctic Beverages LP collaborated to make this happen. “I’m extremely grateful to all our book sponsors, many of whom have been on board since we started this in 2018,” says Kristy Jackson, Director of Marketing & Communications at Athabasca Basin Development. “Providing books by Indigenous authors and illustrators helps encourage kids to read. Thank you to Santa, our ongoing sponsors, and the new sponsors that came on board this year to help make this happen.”

Thank you to the following volunteers who made the journey north over to help Santa this year: Kian Schaffer-Baker, Jorgen Hus, Peter Godber, Charbel Dabire, Morgan Fleury, Karina Peterson, Ibinabo Abule, Raphael Olaniyi, Bella McMahon, Allison Strong, Natania Bartlett, Anne Gent, and Noah Callaghan.

 “While the weather forced us to change the schedule, Santa, the Roughriders, and volunteers made it to all destinations, delivering more than 1,540 gift bags, reflecting the increase in the number of excited children meeting Santa on the day,” says Dan Gold, Director of Marketing and Stakeholder Relations with Rise Air. “We couldn’t do this without our amazing partners, sponsors, volunteers, and, importantly, the schools themselves for supporting this annual event.”

To our new sponsors and existing partners, you have made a real difference by bringing smiles to children across the Athabasca Basin. We look forward to Santa in the North 2025 and are delighted that several organizations have already expressed their support for next year.

Mr. S. Claus added “We had a wonderful time with all the children, their energy and happiness was the fuel we needed to bring our ‘A-game’, I learned that phrase from my new friends from Regina – Go Riders”. 

Interested in contributing to Santa in the North in 2025? Or other initiatives benefiting Athabasca communities? Please contact Kristy Jackson at kjackson@athabascabasin.ca