Meet the man keeping Saskatoon’s 80-year-old Christmas magic alive

He’s not Santa, but his workshop is where the magic happens.

Randall Simpson is the volunteer who keeps the Once Upon a Christmas display running at Saskatoon’s Western Development Museum (WDM).

“I’m involved in maintaining the display and keeping it running because it does break down a lot,” Simpson said.

The nearly 80-year-old exhibit brings figurines and Christmas scenes to life using simple mechanical parts.

“The majority of what you see here was built in 1946,” he said.

The displays were originally commissioned by the Eaton’s Department Store in Winnipeg and built using surplus materials from the Second World War.

Over time, the pieces were divided and shipped to other Eaton’s stores across Canada.

In 1977, they were consolidated at the Saskatoon Eaton’s store at Midtown Plaza. A decade later, in 1987, the WDM acquired the full collection — and it has been a family holiday tradition for 38 years.

Why is Rudolph missing?

Some scenes feature Santa and his reindeer, but none of them include the red-nosed favourite.

• Get the latest news from Saskatoon, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

“There’s no reference to Rudolph, because he never existed until 1947, when Burl Ives sang Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," Simpson explained.

Who is Punkinhead?

One of Simpson’s favourite characters on display is Punkinhead, a fuzzy bear with unruly hair.

Eaton’s wanted a mascot with the same popularity as Rudolph, and Punkinhead was born.

Punkinhead was created by Charles Thorson, the Canadian cartoonist behind Bugs Bunny.

Like Rudolph, Punkinhead stood out — and it was that uniqueness that made him special.

“He became quite famous in the late 50s, early 60s,” Simpson said.

Decades-old mechanics, and no formal training

Every movement in the display relies on simple mechanical systems. To keep it running, Simpson crawls beneath the scenes to make repairs.

“It’s really, really simple technology. There’s no electronics in this whatsoever,” he said.

Some of the belts powering the figures are still original.

Despite his expertise, Simpson is not a mechanic.

He credits what he knows to his father and his late mentor, Jim McRae.

“I was raised by a father who was born on a farm and has the economic gene in him. He instilled that with me. Anything I can do myself, I do, because I got more time than money,” Simpson said.

And it’s that dedication that keeps this Saskatoon Christmas staple alive year after year.

• RELATED: From Eaton’s to the mall: The holly jolly evolution of the department store Santa Claus
• Saskatoon Christmas tree sales remain steady amid shortage