Christmas is coming and many families in remote northern communities in Canada cannot access toys or cannot afford to buy them for their children, but help is on the way. A joint effort by Canada’s national police called the RCMP, the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), logistics company Thompson Terminals and the toy industry will deliver gifts to children in remote places.
With the help of the Canadian Toy Association, the Toys for the North project has distributed more than $650,000 worth of toys since 2010. In the past, toys have been donated by companies, and individuals have dropped toys off in dedicated donation boxes. But because of the pandemic, there are no donation boxes this year, but industry has stepped up to the plate and supplied a record $265,000 worth of toys.
RCMP officers received a pallet of toys in Aklavik, Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories in 2010. (RCMP-GRC)
Lots of volunteer packing, unpacking, wrapping and delivering
The companies deliver pallets of toys to a Thompson terminal in Etobicoke, just west of Toronto. The pallets are unpacked by volunteers and then repacked to ensure each pallet gets a mixture of toys. The pallets are loaded onto huge Hercules transport planes operated by the RCAF and flown to remote bases. From there, they might be moved to communities by RCMP or private/commercial flights. Individual toys are wrapped by officers and other volunteers with paper donated Mastermind Toys. They are then delivered directly to homes by RCMP officers.
The entire effort is voluntary and no money changes hands. The toys are free for the children.
Police officers deliver toys to children of all ages, like this one in Yukon in 2010. (RCMP-GRC)
Pandemic said to make project ‘more essential’
“Toys for the North is a very important program for Canada’s northern communities that has helped spread joy to countless families throughout the holidays for the past ten years,” said Toys for the North coordinator, RCMP Cpl. Rob Buller in a statement. “With the increased isolation this year has brought for many, we believe it is more essential than ever that we come together as a nation to do our part for the children and families in these communities.”
This year, toys will go to over 30 communities. They include areas surrounding Thunder Bay, Goose Bay and Iqaluit, including Grise Fiord, the most northern permanent settlement in Canada and one of the coldest communities in the world. Toys will also go to three communities in the Northwest Territories this year.
Volunteer RCMP officers appear to very much enjoy their partnership with Santa Claus. (RCMP-GRC)
The companies that contributed toys for the 2020 campaign are:
- Asmodee Canada/Lion Rampant Imports
- Crayola Canada
- FoxMind Canada Enterprises Ltd.
- FUJIFILM Canada Inc.
- Funrise Canada
- Hasbro Canada
- LEGO Canada Inc.
- Mattel Canada
- MGA Entertainment Canada
- Next Generation Distributors
- Ravensburger North America
- Sago Sago Toys Inc.
- Scholastic Canada Ltd.
- Spin Master
- Suncoat Products Inc.
- Toysmith
- Wiggles 3D
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