B.C. volunteer's handmade 'merry mailbox' inspires 3-year-old to send first letter to Santa
B.C. volunteer's handmade 'merry mailbox' inspires 3-year-old to send first letter to Santa
Colwood, B.C. -
Although Finn Coultas is only three and a half years old, he’s a big fan of all things festive.
If he’s not enthusiastically singing "Jingle Bells," Finn’s exuberantly listing everything he knows about Santa.
Although he and his baby brother posed for a picture with the big guy at the mall this year, Finn never considered sending a letter to Mr. Claus until his mom Jenna Massy happened upon an unexpected invitation.
“Oh, I thought it was really sweet,” Jenna recalls, after noticing a pair of festively decorated mailboxes that had popped up on a nearby street.
One said, "Mail your letter to Santa here." The other said, "Check in here for your letter from Santa Claus."
The boxes were put-up by Mike Juleff and his wife in the hopes of helping who they call “The Postmaster Elves.”
“They must be very busy,” Mike says. “So we thought we should put up a ‘Central Collection Station.’”
So they created a place to post letters to the North Pole and another to receive personalized replies from Santa.
“It just adds an element to the magic and excitement of Christmas,” Mike smiles.
Mike says he receives “weekly reports from the North Pole” about the letters left in his merry mailboxes. They show the children’s gift requests have ranged from cuddly stuffed toys to full-sleeve tattoos.
“Not sure how Santa will deal with that,” Mike smiles. “Or if Santa will have to consult with Mom and Dad.”
Mike says it’s also heartening to hear that the children’s letters include not just their wants, but their wishes for the wellbeing of others.
It’s a sentiment Mike can relate to. He has spent the past 13 years travelling more than 7,000 kilometres a year to drive cancer patients to and from their appointments.
“Just being a part of the community is to do things for the community,” Mike says.
Two days after Finn and Jenna dropped off their letter to Santa, they picked-up the hand-written reply.
“It was really cute. He loves it,” Jenna says, pointing out how the letter praised Finn’s positivity, the envelope that included a real bell that says "believe," and the paper that features a picture of Santa are already well worn.
“As you can see, we’ve read it about 50 times.”
While Jenna is thankful the generosity, Mike is grateful for the opportunity.
“It’s just a joy to be able to be part of providing joy,” Mike smiles.
And Finn seems to be feeling so festive, he just might spend the rest of the holidays as though he’s on a one horse open sleigh, “laughing all the way.”
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
Dominic Barton, the former global managing director of McKinsey & Company, says he had no involvement in federal contracts awarded to the firm in recent years.
Australia is removing the monarchy from its bank notes. The nation's new $5 bill will feature an Indigenous design rather than an image of King Charles III. But the king is still expected to appear on coins that currently bear the image of the late Queen Elizabeth II.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
When the opera 'La Flambeau' premieres next week in Montreal, Black performers will be front and centre in an artistic medium where they have historically been under-represented.
A suicide bomber who killed 101 people at a mosque in northwest Pakistan this week had disguised himself in a police uniform and did not raise suspicion among guards, the provincial police chief said on Thursday.
Top European Union officials arrived in Kyiv on Thursday for talks with Ukrainian officials as rescue crews dug through the rubble of an apartment building in eastern Ukraine struck by a Russian missile, killing at least three people and wounding about 20 others.
B.C.'s Ministry of Health is continuing its multi-year trend of paying millions more dollars each year to private surgical centres for the delivery of public health care, CTV News has learned.
Changes to the amount of time the public gets to voice their opinion during Surrey City Council meetings has caused controversy among former councillors.
A large crowd of around 700 students, faculty members and Lethbridge residents came out on Wednesday to protest a planned speech by Frances Widdowson at the University of Lethbridge that didn't take place.
A gay man is taking the federal government to court, challenging the constitutionality of a policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned.
A polar vortex is descending over Ontario this week and some of the coldest weather is still to come. Wind chills will also reach dangerous levels, increasing the risk of frostbite.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
Calgary police are looking for suspects involved in an altercation that lasted for approximately an hour, spanned several communities and ended with a gun being fired.
Tsuut'ina Nation Police Service officials are encouraging any local victims to come forward following the arrest of actor Nathan Lee Chasing Horse in Las Vegas on sex assault charges.
After an extremely mild month of January, the province is bracing for a blast of arctic air that will move in tonight and last until Saturday. Environment and Climate Change Canada has issued extreme cold warnings that covers most of the province with wind chills expected to be between -38 and -42 across the South and -50 across Northern Quebec.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
A new 911 dispatch system in New Brunswick means that now fire departments aren’t getting dispatched to all medical calls leaving residents waiting and first responders in the dark.
The organization regulating medical care and services in Manitoba is apologizing for racism directed towards Indigenous people when accessing health care in the province.
Wiarton Willie made his prediction his spring prediction Thursday morning at 8:07 a.m. The groundhog did not see his shadow, meaning we could get an early spring.
A hearing is underway to determine if Udo Haan is not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan, who was found in the aftermath of the 2018 house explosion in Kitchener, Ont.
Wiarton Willie has predicted an early spring! The groundhog in South Bruce Peninsula didn't see his shadow at 8:07 a.m. on Thursday morning, meaning spring is on the way.
A Quebec woman said she was very surprised to find her stolen Audi had been used in what’s being described as an “absolutely insane” Ontario mall robbery.
