Santa Ken Moore sits on the photography set called Santa's Cabin located on the first floor in the centre court at Aberdeen Mall in Kamloops.

(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)

Ken Moore, 75, has played the role of Santa Claus since he was 19 years old for friends and family, and well over a decade as a professional Santa in malls in Kamloops.

His photograph is on the fridges of thousands of homes in the city and he has watched countless children grow up over the years. 

While he admits he's getting up in years and getting more tired doing the job, he has no plans to retire anytime soon.

“My grandkids are my biggest supporters, they won’t let me retire,” he said. “This year I was contemplating it but my youngest grand daughter said ‘no way, you’re Santa.’”

Moore sees roughly 5,000 children every holiday season and many of them are repeat visitors, a special honour he called humbling and one he doesn’t take for granted.

“I work a lot on adrenaline because I love it and really want to do it,” he said. “I put my heart and soul into it and I enjoy what I do, I have a great relationship with kids.”

From time to time, a family will reach out to let him know his work is appreciated.

“I have a family that came the other day and showed me nine photos of me with their son taken every year since he was three months old, and then we took another photo,” he said. “That’s the standard now for people who have been with me for a long time, it’s very humbling.”

Moore first donned a Santa suit at the age of 19 for a large family gathering and he hasn’t missed a Christmas playing the role since.

In his younger years, he worked in Kamloops at a car dealership and at Canadian Tire, but he said he's mostly known for being Santa, even during the summer months.

“The fun thing is, I meet people in the mall in the summer and they recognize me because they have a photo of me with their grandkids on their fridge,” he said.

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He starts growing his beard out in May and used to dye it for the holiday season, but his beard has naturally turned from grey to snowy white. On Jan. 1, Moore shaves the beard off.

“That is an agreement that Mrs. Claus and I have, that I’ll be clean shaven for at least six months of the year,” he said.

Moore’s Santa job starts after Remembrance Day with private sittings for people who want pictures for their Christmas cards. Following the Kamloops Santa Parade, Moore sets up at the mall where he works full time until Christmas Eve.

The magic of Christmas is alive with the younger visitors, while the older kids who are familiar with Moore stop to chat.

“I tell them how much they’ve grown over the summer or that I like their new hairstyles, I think they like me and know I like them so it works,” he said.

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This year, his oldest grand daughter started working with him on the set as an elf.

“We’ve come full circle from her being a toddler to her being an elf with me, it’s really cool.”

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One of Moore’s repeat customers is Kamloops resident Bebe-Lynn Kew whose little girl knows Santa Ken as “her Santa.”

“Ken is the most wonderful Santa, he’s so patient, kind, warm and caring with kids of all ages and comfort,” Kew said. “He is the epitome of Santa to me, right down to the twinkle in his eye. We’ll be returning to Santa Ken for as long as he is able.”

Santa Ken Moore is located on the photography set in the central court on the first floor of Aberdeen Mall in Kamloops from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily until Dec. 23, and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Ainslie or call 250-819-6089 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

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