St. Albert students have once again rallied to deliver Christmas gifts to two northern communities.
Lois E. Hole Elementary students helped Outreach High student Cole Garritty loaded dozens of boxes packed with donated gifts into trucks on Nov. 28. The gifts were assembled by the school community as part of the 2024 Northwest Territories Kindness Project, which sees St. Albert families send gifts to remote communities in Canada’s north.
As previously reported in the Gazette, retired/reserve St. Albert RCMP constable Geoff McKay started the predecessor to this project in 2021 when he asked people on Facebook to send him boxes of gifts he would distribute during his next deployment to Sanirajak, Nunavut. Donors responded in droves, and he ended up giving out some 250 boxes.
In 2022, Garritty heard about McKay’s work and rallied St. Albert schools to hold a similar box drive, resulting in some 400 boxes sent north. Last year saw Garritty teamed up with classmate Jeric Macdonald for the drive, during which the two of them got to fly to four northern communities to hand out some 600 boxes.
This year, Garritty said the gift box team aims to assemble some 250 boxes by Dec. 5 for delivery to Resolute Bay, Nunavut, and Behchokǫ̀, N.W.T.
“This year we’re keeping it a little bit smaller,” he said, as it is just McKay handing out the boxes.
Lois Hole Elementary students and parents worked for most of November to fill the boxes, said Lois Hole assistant principal Tammy Schepens. Each class filled two boxes for two specific Resolute Bay youths, with some individually wrapping the gifts within them. Parents and other community members chipped into fill the Behchokǫ̀-bound boxes.
Postal problems
Outreach High principal JoAnn Blachford said the 200-odd Behchokǫ̀ boxes will head north via Buffalo Air, which has once again volunteered its services. Mckay will distribute the boxes on arrival.
The 55 boxes headed to Resolute Bay might be delayed by the ongoing postal strike, as they are being shipped through Canada Post — an arrangement the team made about a month ago well before the strike began. Blachford said Resolute Bay RCMP officers would distribute these boxes whenever they arrive.
“We’re hoping the strike ends and they can get up there for Dec. 25, but we also realize that Santa may not come before January,” she said.
Garritty said these gift boxes will have a huge impact on the lives of their recipients.
“Life is completely different up there,” he said, as it is so remote the prices for even basics like food are often 10 to 20 times more than in Alberta.
“I think it just helps spread the kindness.”
Garritty said he isn’t sure what his future with the box drive will be, as he expects to finish high school soon, but hopes the drive will continue next year.
Schepens said the box drive has so inspired Lois Hole students that they have based this year’s Christmas play on it. Entitled Gifts of the Arctic, the play is about an Arctic wolf named Maraq (who represents Garritty and Macdonald) who rallies his friends to help a family of hares survive the winter.
“Cole and Jeric are heroes in our building,” Schepens said.
Garritty said he was stunned when he learned of the upcoming play and looks forward to seeing it.
“When I heard about it, I almost cried.”
Garritty thanked McKay, the Lois Hole school community, and Buffalo Air for supporting this year’s box drive.
