Laura Power
Northern News Services
Published Friday, December 14, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - As part of a new Yellowknifer news feature, newsroom staff will be seeking out a variety of jobs to see what it's like when the shoe's on the other foot.

This week Arts & Entertainment editor, Laura Power, found out what it's like to be an elf!

Arts editor Laura Power (as an elf) sits on Santa's knee at the Kugluktuk community centre earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Gale Runge

I've taken on several wild and exciting jobs in my time so far. I've been an entertainment journalist, a nude model and an accounts payable clerk.

But this month in the lead-up to Christmas, I was given the most exciting job opportunity of all.

I flew to the North Pole - er, Kugluktuk - with Santa Claus and two of his elves, and I helped them give out gift bags to the crowd of kids.

I tagged along with the North Pole crew during Canadian North's Santa run on Dec. 2. Gale Runge was one of the other elves, and once I got into the outfit, she helped get me into the spirit.

I was a proper elf, with a green and red hat with jingle bells and everything. And I couldn't wipe the silly grin off my face the whole time I was there.

Runge later told me what it takes to be one of Santa's elves.

"What first comes to mind is caring about the children and trying your best to help it be a memorable time for them," she said. "For me, too, there's something inside that truly believes in Santa ... I want kids to hold on to that, believe in that, believe in that spirit."

When we got to the community centre, a gazillion little children crowded around Santa Claus to say hello, sit on his knee and get a gift bag. Us elves wandered around the room with extra gift bags.

"The elves are important because sometimes there are so many children that they don't always get to spend the time with Santa that they would like to," said Runge.

We got to see firsthand what it was like to visit an isolated community with Santa, the man who has been everywhere.

"Because of the isolation that some of the communities have, they don't always get the opportunity that bigger centres do," said Runge, adding the Santa run is a way for Canadian North to help spread Christmas spirit to their destinations.

It's true that I never got the proper experience of an elf, who spends all year in the workshop making toys for kids all around the world, but I imagine it's much like the newsroom on a deadline day. Only with more carol singing and candy eating.

But I did get to experience the most important part of an elf's job: I got to see the looks on the kids' faces as Santa entered the room and feel the excitement as we handed out gifts. Since I was a child myself, I haven't felt so much Christmas joy.

"I could see in your eyes you were feeling the warmth that it brought to all the kids," Runge told me.

And you know, on top of all that, I figure that hat looked pretty good on me.