OH, THE WONDERFUL STORIES SANTA CAN TELL
Spreading holiday cheer is difficult, but it’s worth it to these men, writes Kelsey Lyle
It’s that time of year where classic pudgy, white-haired, holly jolly Santa figures put on their red suits and spread Christmas cheer for all ages.
Hal Kerbes, 60, and Doug Bell, 58, play Santa at various places around Calgary and have had their fair share of laughs and tears throughout the years while dressed up in the famous red and white suit.
“Being Santa, I think — if you’re doing it right — is a very emotional job,” Kerbes said.
Kerbes studied music at the University of Calgary to become an opera singer, but followed the path of acting and, for many years, wrote an original Christmas musical for Stage West for Kids.
“The musicals would always feature Santa, of course, and I played him on stage in a couple plays over the years,” Kerbes said.
“One musical, I played Santa, and I wore this one suit. It wasn’t the traditional velvet material. It was actual plush, weighed a ton and was so hot.”
Before becoming Santa Claus, Bell had been driving city buses and had fallen into the position of being one of the many Santas in Calgary during the 1970s through the non-profit organization The Magic of Christmas.
The aim of the organization is to fill up Calgary Transit buses with presents — ranging from toys and clothes to non-perishable foods — and having a Santa and elves hand it all out to people in need on Christmas Eve.
“You don’t even have to be poor for them to visit; it’s for people who’ve had a tough year,” Bell said.
A connection between the different Christmas organizations in the city landed Bell a position one night at Marlborough Mall when they were short a Santa.
“I was so nervous, I didn’t think I could do it,” Bell said.
Kerbes and Bell eventually started playing Santa more and more in various malls throughout Calgary, and in several of them, they heard of Christmas wishes that provoked tears.
The Santas will usually see hundreds, sometimes thousands, of kids each Christmas season, some of whom cry on their knee, proving the job isn’t all sugar plums and eggnog.
“Mall work is extremely exhausting. Physically and emotionally,” Kerbes said.
As photographs are snapped and parents decide which image is the best, most Santas will ask what the children would like for Christmas, which both Kerbes and Bell regard as a special moment between Santa and the youngsters.
“I asked a little girl what she would like, and she said, ‘All
I want is for you to bring my grandma back from heaven,’” Kerbes recalled.
Last year, Bell had a little girl in his line discover he wasn’t who she thought he was, and believed he was dressing up as Santa “just for the money.”
“She was letting everyone in the line know her theory and had just about everyone in tears,” Bell said.
When the girl got to his lap, Bell said, “I understand that you don’t think I am the person you thought I was.”
“‘ Well,’ I said, ‘It’s all about the spirit of the season. Even you can be Santa Claus,’” Bell said. “She responded, ‘But I’m a girl!’ and I said ‘It doesn’t matter.’”
“I always encourage everyone in the family to take turns sitting on my knee,” Kerbes said. “They’re afraid they’re going to break it! And I go, ‘Dude. Look at me. Do you think I’m made of twigs and butter? I don’t think so.’”
Because most shifts are any- where from six to nine hours, with a half-hour break, Bell usually has to prop himself up with a couple pillows for comfort.
“While I still try and get up and move around on my shifts, you’re sitting on this chair for hours on end,” Bell said.
While many of the best stories the Santas can remember come from the kids at the malls around Calgary, many other stories come from the least likely spots you might imagine.
“I came to a retirement home as Santa last year, and an old spinster came up to me, and she said, ‘Santa, I’ve been waiting for you my entire life. Will you marry me?,’” Bell said with a laugh.
With grandchildren in many of the Santas’ lives, Kerbes has to be careful when mentioning any top-secret Santa business around the young family members.
Once, Kerbes was looking after his granddaughter when he almost blew his cover while planning to fix a few buttons on his Santa coat.
“I was about to haul it out in front of her when I thought, ‘Nope, I can’t do this here,’” Kerbes said.
However, the secret can’t be kept forever, and Kerbes fears his role of playing Santa will be uncovered in the years to come.
“It’s going to be challenging a few years down the road, because my daughter’s friend has a daughter the same age and they came to see me when I was playing Santa one night,” Kerbes said.
“So a few years down the road, when they compare their pictures, which is going to happen, you just know it is going to happen. But we’ll cross that road when we come to it.”
Being Santa, I think — if you’re doing it right — is a very emotional job