Inuvik (May 15/06) - Christmas came early for Inuvik's Cole Traer, 11, in the form of some cool cash for himself and his school.

Traer was the winner in the sixth annual NorthwesTel holiday greeting card contest with his magic marker and pencil rendition of a cabin in the bush visited by Santa Claus.

For 11-year-old Cole Traer, Christmas came in May this year. He won NorthwesTel's annual Christmas card design contest, netting him $100 and a box of cards, plus $500 for Sir Alexander Mackenzie school in Inuvik. - Chris Woodall/NNSL photo

"I like drawing with pencils," said Cole, of how his artwork came about.

He beat out 200 fellow student artists to take home a backpack and $100.

He also earned $500 for Sir Alexander Mackenzie school.

The phone company picked one winner from each of the four regions it serves: NWT, Nunavut, Yukon and Northern B.C.

"It was very difficult to choose just four designs as so many of them were very good," wrote public affairs director Anne Kennedy to Cole's principal, Janette Vlanich.

The four art pieces will be printed on greeting cards for the company. Cole will get a dozen of his cards.

But for now, Traer hasn't made up his mind what to do with his riches.

The hockey playing youngster -- he likes defence and his favourite professional team is the Montreal Canadiens -- has a wide creative streak.

He and his class entered a video in the current "Don't be a Butthead" anti-smoking campaign contest.

"It was fun," he said of the movie-making experience.