| |
Home | Archive | Travel | Videos | About | |
|
 |
||||
| “I believe that people are put on this Earth for a reason. My reason is to be Santa Claus and to make children happy” | ||||
| |
story Maureen Scott photographs Steve Uhraney Chauffeur by day; Santa by weekend, Pat Houle hasn’t given up his day job to be the Stage West Santa for the past 15 years. Monday to Friday, Pat works as a chauffeur for The Ministry of Transportation, driving Provincial Ministers and Deputy Ministers to appointments. With his long, snowy white beard and jolly laugh, Pat looks like Santa Claus every day of the year. Imagine the double-take he gets when politicians notice that their chauffeur looks like jolly old St. Nick. “They all call me Santa around Queen’s Park!” laughs Pat. Each Saturday during the holiday season, Pat changes out of his chauffeur uniform and into a velvety red suit with white faux fur trim, a big black belt and black boots. The only constant is the white beard. “I always have some sort of beard but I start growing THIS in April,” says Pat, stroking his long white beard. ”It will be 10” long by November. The other day I was at Walmart in Bolton (his home town) eating an ice cream and a customer walked by and said, ‘how’s the ice cream Santa?’” Pat is a jolly elf no matter what the season, but he says when he puts on the Santa suit, he is transformed. “I dress slowly. I put on the pants and boots and sit down and relax and try to let my emotions drain,” explains Pat. “It’s like a performer getting ready to do a play. I call it my magic uniform; by the time I put on the glasses, I believe I can do miracles and that I’m going to make some child’s life happier. When I walk down the hallway and see the look on the children’s faces it makes me so happy. We are put on this earth for a reason; I believe my reason is to play Santa. I throw everything into being Santa and if I can make one child happy, then I’m happy.” Each year Santa gets requests for “THE” toy of the season but often that Cabbage Patch doll or GameBoy may be “out of stock” at Santa’s Workshop. “I try not to promise anything,” says Pat. Children will say, I didn’t get my ’whatever’ last year and I tell them, well maybe this year. There are so many children in the world that it is hard to always remember every request.” It’s not always easy being Santa. “Sometimes the really young ones around one or two, even three or four are afraid of me, so I try to keep my distance and just give them a wave. Around age seven or eight they might not think Santa is cool anymore. They may have stopped believing, but I tell them that everyone has to believe in something. Even if you don’t believe, you can still come and say hi and even get a hug. You also have to be on your toes, because they will ask questions to trick you to see if you really are Santa,” laughs Pat. Over his 15 years at Stage West, Pat has watched his own two children and others who attend the theatre, return year after year. “One customer said –you are the original Santa. She brought in her photo album and showed me pictures of me with her children over the years. Adults really enjoy it when they see their children so happy.” Funny thing about those photos; the children grow up but Santa somehow looks the same. “Santa never ages; he just stays at 100!” laughs Pat. During the “off season” Pat and his wife Mary are busy attending flea markets and auctions scouting out antique soda pop bottles, Matchbox Toys and all things Christmas. “The day after Halloween, Mary puts up the Christmas decorations and they stay up until January 7 for Ukrainian Christmas. We have Santas of every size and shape all over the house. We have big Mr. and Mrs. Claus figures, Santa coming down the chimney, Santa paintings, Christmas carols playing –it’s all Christmas at our house!” Pat must get some interesting requests for Christmas wishes as he’s chauffeuring politicians around town. Better poll numbers and bigger budgets must be on the list. “Often I get asked, jokingly, for high-priced cars!” Of course, if they don’t behave, he can always threaten to put a lump of coal in their stocking. Guess that might be one way to keep a majority in check! So what are the chances of me getting a silver BMW convertible? I ask. “Pretty good; if you believe in Santa!” Children can come to see Santa Pat at the Stage West as he visits each table at the play “Santa’s Amazing Vacation” running most Saturdays in November and December and on select days during the Christmas break. For more information call the box office at 905-238-0042 or book online at www.stagewest.com. Special thanks to Janice Beadle of For the Love of Angels for decorating the Christmas tree in the Stage West lobby in early September for our photo shoot. GL |
|
||