 |
| Bill Smithson (Elgin Mall's Santa Claus) |
Residents of southwestern Ontario who missed out on getting pictures of their children with Santa Claus this year still have over a week to go, due to a principled stance by a shopping mall leasing agent in this city of 40,000.
Antoinette Tomasulo heads up the long-standing but struggling Elgin Mall on Wellington Street. She raised some eyebrows this week when she took out an ad in the local newspaper, the Times-Journal, in order to announce that Santa Claus would stay put until January 7th, the date that most Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas.
"Although currently there are no Orthodox Christian churches here in St. Thomas, we thought that it would go a long way to attracting Orthodox settlers here if we kept Saint Nick in his place until January 7th," said Tomasulo, contacted via Skype by The North American.
Bill Smithson, 72, has been the Elgin Mall's Santa for 17 years, and he admits that business has been slow-going since the mall reopened on Boxing Day. "Initially I was all for the idea, because I can buy my lotto tickets here at the kiosk across the way, and there's great Chinese food at Manchu Wok in the food court, but it's getting lonely." Tomasulo confirmed that Santa's helpers are no longer needed and that parents are urged to "take their own quality pictures on their smartphones if they so choose." Smithson is also "very adept at selfies."
According to long-time city resident Betty Wilhemson, she "can't remember there being even one Orthodox family" in the city - "nor is there any now; this is a complete waste of money."
To date, only two people have had their pictures taken with Smithson, er, Santa Claus, however neither were from Orthodox families. One toddler had just came out from the Galaxy Cinemas and thought Santa looked like a red Chewbacca, and the other was Mr. Smithson's socially-awkward third cousin Steve.
From Our London, Ontario Bureau
No comments:
Post a Comment