Kamloops Santa Donald Taylor (left) poses beside his wife Tracy Taylor at their Santaland Village in Sahali Mall.
(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)
December 21, 2024 - 12:00 PM
An intricate and whimsical Christmas world awaits visitors at Kamloops’ Sahali Mall, where it is more than a stop for that treasured Christmas photo with Santa, it’s a portal to a miniature North Pole.
In full view of shoppers is the entrance to Santaland Village complete with a wooden bridge, spinning snowmen and festive decorations, but out of view inside a large room is a vast collection of fanciful dollhouses that bring viewers into an imaginary village at the North Pole.
“We want to provide a whole Christmas experience and share the magic of it all,” said Kamloops resident Tracy Taylor, better known as Mrs. Claus.
During a visit to Santa, customers can enjoy a unique experience wandering through the miniature village and peering into the dollhouses to see the tiniest creative details depicting the lives of busy elves, Santa and reindeer training for flight.
“Some people look for hours, there are so many little details,” Tracy said. “Kids tend to go through and then go back to look more closely, they get excited finding new things.”
Tracy and her husband Donald, who plays Santa, inherited the display from a couple playing Mr. and Mrs. Claus in Maple Ridge who retired six years ago. They have been building more little houses and adding figurines and details ever since.
“Many of the pieces were donated by people in the community,” Tracy said. “One house we got from a lady whose mom had built the structure but passed away. She wanted it to go to someone it’d bring joy to, so she gave it to us.”
When pieces are donated, a tiny photo of the donor is added to a wall in the dollhouses. Also in the houses are imaginative additions, such as geography maps for reindeer and tiny playing cards for elves.
“We have so much fun doing this and coming up with new ideas, it’s one of a kind,” said Santa Donald.
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Years ago, Donald grew his beard out and it was white so he was called into his son’s school to play the role of Santa. He enjoyed it so much, he kept it up and opened the village in the mall, where he has had photos taken with newborns, teenagers and adults.
“When we started, only a few kids would come in and we wondered why we were doing this, but then one kid would come in and we’d have this magical experience,” Donald said. “That’s why we do this, for that one magical experience.
“Now we’re busier, we have lots of those moments.”
A miniature bakery with figurine elves is part of a North Pole display at Santaland Village in Sahali Mall in Kamloops.
(SHANNON AINSLIE / iNFOnews.ca)
Tracy said her favourite part of her role as Mrs. Claus is seeing the same kids return each year, bigger and taller, and still full of excitement.
“There is a whole array of reactions to me, some are shy, some are fearful depending on their age, some run at me and hug me,” Donald said.
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Santaland Village is located in Sahali Mall at 22-945 Columbia Street West.
Santaland Village is open on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from 12 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the week the village is open on Thursdays and Fridays from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. with the last day on Monday, Dec. 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The cost to see the village and have photos taken with Santa is $25 for the family, while it is $5 for those who just want to view the village, and every kid leaves with a stuffy donated by members of the community.
Go here for more information on Santaland Village.
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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