'Santa Claus is like a snowflake': Alberta actors embrace diversity of Saint Nick

Alex Appiah poses as Santa Claus in an undated promotional photograph for West Edmonton Mall. The 29-year-old is making this December the one to remember as he becomes one of the first Black actors to play the Jolly Old Elf at the shopping complex. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-West Edmonton Mall

Alex Appiah is feeling merry and bright as he prepares for a shift at West Edmonton Mall, donning a beard of white and a suit of red.

The 29-year-old Edmonton man has worked through the shopping centre’s holiday hustle and bustle for eight years, mostly at the mall’s Galaxyland indoor amusement park.

But he says he's making this December the one to remember as he gears up to be one of the first Black actors to play Santa Claus through an initiative named "Santa for All at West Edmonton Mall."

“I'm feeling great,” he said in a recent phone interview. “It’s going to be a good day.”

Billed as an enhancement to traditional photos with Santa Claus, the initiative allows guests to learn about each Kris Kringle and book photos with the one that resonates most with them.

Appiah is one of two diverse actors taking part. The other is a Filipino Santa who can speak Tagalog.

An offer he couldn't refuse

Playing the Jolly Old Elf wasn’t exactly on his 2024 bingo card, Appiah said, but it was an offer he couldn’t refuse.

“Every kid should be able to see themselves in the magic of the holidays,” Appiah said. 

Growing up in Toronto, often considered a cultural melting pot, he said he never saw a Santa Claus who looked like him.

But many countries celebrate Christmas with their version of Santa Claus, he said, reinforcing the idea that he is for everyone.

“It's really important to give kids the opportunity to see themselves. I never imagined there could be a Santa that speaks Tagalog and is from the Philippines or a Santa that is from Africa,” Appiah said.

Diversity embraced at Santa School

Diversity is embraced strongly at Jennifer Andrews’ Santa School in Calgary. Her partner, Jeremy, said they've trained Santa’s helpers from as far away as Dubai and Hong Kong.

The actors may come in different shapes and sizes, but their goal is to spread joy, Jeremy Andrews said.

“Santa Claus is like a snowflake,” he added. “They're all a little bit different … so we try to help the Santa representative identify their strengths that they can use to help people feel the spirit of Christmas."

Andrews said he recently got the chance to play Santa in France. While Santa visits there are similar to those in Canada, they are typically quieter and more reserved.

“There are obviously some differences between cultures, but in the end, what people are looking for is to feel that magic of Christmas,” he said.

For Chuck Powell, the magic of Christmas can feel comforting when the going gets tough.

A military veteran from the Gitxsan First Nation in British Columbia, he grapples with post-traumatic stress disorder following deployments overseas.

During his military career, he donned a cheap Santa suit for Canadian, American and British troops stationed abroad. It came as a shock when people stationed with him in Bosnia learned his true identity, he said.

“They could not believe that a choleric, Type A, very hardened military police platoon warrant officer … was the jolly, happy Saint Nick,” Powell said from his home in Wainwright, Alta. “I kind of enjoyed that.”

Now retired from service, he spends much of his year spreading kindness in his community, buying toys and treats for children and food and clothes for families down on their luck. 

He also plays Santa for town events, nursing homes and gatherings on reserves across Alberta. For those events, he incorporates elements of his Indigenous culture.

“I've been in some pretty crappy places, seen some really crappy stuff, done a few things that I have to answer to God for,” Powell said. "But that's how I give back."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 15, 2024.