Kamloops woman helps Santa with Christmas correspondence

Dec 7, 2016 | 4:13 PM

KAMLOOPS — Every year children around the world write letters to Santa Claus, and every year Santa recruits a Kamloops woman to help him respond to the thousands of requests from children in the region.

Izzy McQueen, along with seven other elves, spend countless hours responding to the piles of letters. 

McQueen has been helping out the big man in red for 31 years, responding to every child. 

“We did 3,500 letters last year, and they come from all over,” McQueen said, “and today I got some from Chemainus, I got some from Duncan, I got some from Spruce Grove. So they come from all over the place.” 

The letters start pouring in in late November, with thousands of gift requests from children hoping Santa will make their Christmas dreams come true. 

Every once in a while, McQueen will come across a letter from a child who doesn’t want material possessions.

“They want food for the kids that don’t have anything, they want them to have places to sleep, and of course the year that they had that terrible explosion in Paris, the kids were so upset about it, and that’s terrible, when young kids like that have to worry about something like that, because it really upsets them.” 

While McQueen knows Santa won’t be able to give the children everything they desire, she reassure the young ones that Santa has received their requests.

“I just say, ‘Well, Santa will do his best,’ or, ‘Wow! that was a big letter,’ what else can you say?”

McQueen has already personally responded to hundreds of letters this year, and even though it’s the most hectic time of the year for her, it’s also the happiest.

“It just makes me feel good to think that I can try and answer these kids’ letters and make them feel good about themselves.”