While his reindeer took a much-needed break, Santa Claus was given a tour by the Okotoks Fire Department, Municipal Enforcement, and RCMP.
The annual pit stop is a tradition that began 21 years ago when Santa Claus stopped by the fire hall to ask for directions and was given a tour of the town by fire engine with an escort by the RCMP auxiliary.
“Twenty years ago, Santa lost his way in town, so he stopped by the fire department and asked for a guided tour of Okotoks,” Okotoks firefighter Ryan Kaiser said in a 2021 interview, explaining the tradition was stared by his father, then-chief Paul Kaiser.
“Seeing peoples’ faces light up, especially the little kids, when they see Santa, the whole thing is just special.
"For me it just gives Christmas that extra oomph.”
Riding in a 1956 antique fire engine, Santa cruised town with a GPS tracker allowing residents to see him coming.
