Santa’s Winter Walk

A typical holiday in Whitecourt usually means that staff at the Allan & Jean Millar Centre (AJMC) run events, both in the centre and around town, for residents to enjoy as a family. This past Christmas, restrictions kept staff on their toes because each changing regulation meant that an event had to change or be cancelled altogether, leaving them scrambling to come up with a new idea.

Recreation Coordinator for the Town of Whitecourt, Emma Harper said that the ever-changing restrictions helped them look at things differently. “It’s been neat to have to think outside of the box. We get so used to planning the same things and maybe changing them up a little but not to the extent that we have had to do that this year,” she explained. “It’s been difficult at times, but from the silver lining perspective, it’s been a kind of cool experience too.”

Harper said that using the Forest Interpretive Centre (FIC) was one of the “silver linings” discovered. She said that typically, they would use Rotary Park or the AJMC for programming, but in their search for a location with less foot traffic, the FIC shone like a beacon. “It offered us a new place that worked well for the current circumstances because it’s off the beaten path, and you don’t get a ton of people showing up that aren’t there for something specific. You get the occasional dog walkers or people using the trail system, but aside from that, it is pretty under-utilized, I think.” She said that promoting the FIC and, specifically, the grounds around it was a bonus. “There are so many neat trails to go look at and explore up there, and I don’t think that people think about going up there. It’s worth the trip.”

In the late summer, Harper and the AJMC staff set up an Enchanted Forest Walk at the FIC, which involved placing fun characters along a walking trail. The program was open for over a month, and residents could come at whatever time suited their schedule. “I had seen the idea where people hid fairy doors, and it was adorable, and people enjoyed it. That’s where the idea came from.” A month or so later, they did another walk program, this time featuring Halloween characters.

With Christmas on the horizon, staff planned a Night at the North Pole event that quickly gained a lot of attention. “People were so excited about it. When the event was cancelled due to restrictions, it was a really big let down,” explained Harper. “We needed something else to do, and we had to pivot quickly. We had already done the two previous walks, so thanks to volunteers in the community, it was a quick turnaround to set up.”

Throughout the holiday season, Harper said that she would pop up and check on the Santa’s Winter Walk set up to make sure everything was still there. “Sometimes, there were people up there, and I loved getting to hear the kids yelling when they spotted something. That was my highlight. I took my kids up there, and they did that too, but it was so nice to see other kids having fun and yelling out because they found another reindeer or elf. That was a warm and fuzzy moment for me,” reminisced Harper.

At each walk, a checklist was provided for children to fill out and send in for a chance at a prize. Though they know that not everyone who took part in the walk filled out a form and turned it in for a chance at a prize, Harper said that the participation numbers were incredibly positive. Just over 200 families registered for the Enchanted Forest Walk, and roughly 100 registered for the Santa Walk. Each registration only accounts for the group and not for how many are in it. “On average, that could be three or four people per family, which means that a lot of people took part. Plus, others took part without registering.”

Harper said that they are looking into doing another Enchanted Forest Walk again in the summer since the first one was so well-received. They are also planning a similar event for Family Day in February. “It’s a bit different. It will draw people to other outdoor locations around town to complete their checklists, such as the Dahl Drive sliding hill and outdoor skating rinks. We want to help promote different locations in town to enjoy outside.”

Another positive to come out of the learning curve of restrictions was getting to do things that are not a one-time thing. “It’s been nice to do these things where people can do them on their own time because it gives more people a chance to do it. I think we will try and do more things like that because it allows them to do it without committing to a one-time event that maybe that can’t come to.”

Santa’s Winter Walk officially wrapped up on January 11 after nearly a month. “There’s a team of us at the AJMC that are always coming up with new ideas, whether it’s recreation, fitness, or arts and culture. I am grateful that we have been able to keep that going throughout all of this. We are so happy that the public received everything so positively and was receptive to what we did. Getting that positive feedback gave us the motivation to keep trying to think of new ideas.”

Mayor Maryann Chichak was quick to send her thanks to the staff for all their hard work. “I applaud the Town of Whitecourt staff for being extremely creative and adapting to changing regulations and finding ways to offer programming to our community. It kept, not only children but also adults, active throughout the COVID period.” Mayor Chichak said that she hopes to see similar events continue. “It absolutely warms my heart and Council’s to see the community enjoying these events.”