Christmas may only come once a year, but an Elmwood couple has been spreading holiday cheer every day for the past three years.
Santa’s helpers Richard Holm and his wife Nicole Abbott keep a Santa Claus statue in their front yard on Nairn Avenue, and the Jolly Ol’ Saint Nick has become a merry mainstay in the neighbourhood.
“If people are driving by, we get horns honking and whatnot,” Holm told CTV News Wednesday. “They’ll actually roll down their windows and give us a shoutout.”
Throughout the year, Santa wishes season’s greetings adorned in leprechaun green, Winnipeg Jets blue, and Valentine’s Day red.
“We dress him up for all kinds of holiday occasions,” Holm said. “He’s just here to lift spirits for the community.”
But Santa’s spirit-lifting was abruptly grounded Sunday afternoon when an unknown person entered Holm’s yard and attacked the statue.
“I was relaxing on the couch and I heard some yelling. I wasn’t too sure what it was, and then I heard some banging,” Holms recalled. “So I looked outside and I saw the individual beating up Santa pretty good.”
Holm said he didn’t intervene in the assault, but went out shortly after to survey the damage, finding Santa’s right arm hanging perilously and his bottom half torn apart at the waist.
A Winnipeg Police Service spokesperson confirmed to CTV News they received a report of the incident and said investigators will follow up with Holm and Abbott.
Jason Schreyer, city councillor for Elmwood-East Kildonan, said it’s sad to hear about these types of incidents especially when it happens to something created for community by community.
“It kind of hurts; this is my neighbourhood,” Schreyer told CTV News. “We need people to have self-respect so they can have respect for the people around them. I think that comes down to the essence of it.”
The couple said they’re disappointed someone would stoop to this level, but said Santa was previously targeted around Canada Day two years ago.
After that incident, community members rallied around the fallen Father Christmas and helped Holm and Abbott purchase a new Santa Claus.
The couple said Santa is heading back to the North Pole for some much needed rest, but is assured he’ll be his jolly old self by the spring.
“As long as the community wants us to do (this) and as long as we can keep on doing it, we’ll keep doing it,” Holm said.
The attacker has not been identified, however, Holm said Santa has already put them on his naughty list.
“Whoever did this to our Santa, you’re getting coal in your stocking next year,” Holm said with a laugh.
