Each year at this time, there are frequent references to the arrival of Santa Claus at various stores, malls and communities.
Perhaps there are too many "arrivals," but that is a question for another time.
If we look back a little, we can find wonderful Christmas season stories from a time when the "holiday season" did not arrive quite as early.
An interesting example takes us back to mid-December of 1923 and a special visit from Santa.
The intent was that Santa would arrive to look at Columbia Street and its many stores.
After his look around, he would "hold court for his juvenile subjects on Begbie Street alongside the Westminster Trust Building" and hand out "advanced gifts" for the children. He was expected to visit the street every day of that week.
But the weather was a problem for the old saint, and the paper reported that "there being not enough snow in British Columbia he had left his reindeer behind and will come in a pony carriage."
And then the storyline became even more disheartening as there were heavy rains, and it seemed that he was considering cancelling his visit altogether.
The merchants got together to do what they could to encourage Santa to visit the downtown area regardless of the very wet weather.
There were stories of the reindeer not being able to cope with the rain and the ponies getting stuck in the mud, but all those obstacles were overcome when someone was able "to reach Santa" and persuade him to come to the Royal City.
So Santa Claus did arrive in New Westminster for that special pre-Christmas Day visit.
He checked out the stores on Columbia Street and promised "to be back with lots of new goods for all the shops."
The highlight of this particular visit was meeting with local children all gathered on Begbie Street as previously planned.
This event was very popular and the large number of people who attended were not at all concerned about the wet weather.
The location was today's Begbie Street between the Westminster Building and the new civic building currently under construction. On Santa Claus's special visit to New Westminster's local children in mid-December of 1923, nearly 2,000 bags of candy were distributed. Obviously there was no need whatsoever to worry about the rain.
Another very intriguing aspect to this story, related to how the local people "were able to reach Santa Claus," is an interesting story on its own and will start off the Our Past column in early January 2013. It will be worth the wait, we assure you.
Many of us have memories of seeing Santa, maybe sitting on his knee and having a picture taken.
Our personal collection shows one from 1947 at Woolworth's or Kresge's on Columbia Street. Wonder if someone has a memento of the 1923 visit?
