PROFILE
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Santa Claus: The next generation
children” said Crites. “The y feel having papa as Santa is the greatest thing. I’ m told I have inherited a lot fro m my dad, and not just the suit.” Crites’ wife, Donna, who often acco m pa- nies her husband as Mrs. Clause, agrees. “His white beard and hair, the laugh, the wa y he tells jokes, the y wa y he walks, and the s m art re m arks,” she quips. “The rese m - blance is uncann y .” Crites, born in Sudbur y , but raised in Corn- wall is the second eldest of eight children. He was y oung when his parents divorced, and he realized the need for a strong fa m il y , seeing his m o m raise the fa m il y alone. Crites carried this with hi m through life, and now realizes that his greatest acco m - plish m ent has been his fa m il y , and how his children turned out. He feels that whatever he does m ust be to help people or it’s not worth doing. Crites has been a m e m ber of the Moose Lodge, where he was the first recipient of the Tri-Secretar y award. As a past m e m ber, he recalls a quote that has alwa y s sta y ed with hi m , and is reflected in the work he does to- da y : “No m an stands taller than when the y stoop to help a child.” “The quote has m eaning and is so m e- thing I have alwa y s re m e m bered,” said Crites. “Success for m e is seeing the s m iles on the children’s faces.” states Crites. So what does Santa do in his spare ti m e? Well this Santa likes to read Stephen King, or Dean Koontz, ride his m otorc y cle, or walk his dog. If he had a chance his drea m would be to drive across Canada on his m otorc y cle, and see what a great countr y we have. When asked if he had a m essage for y oung people, Crites said: “As y ou’re going through life y ou have to enjo y what y ou’re doing, no m atter what obstacles m a y co m e y our wa y , keep looking at what y ou enjo y doing, and work towards it.” “No man stands taller than when they stoop to help a child.”
LISA ETHERINGTON- RUNIONS
When Brian Crites dons his Santa Claus suit he has big boots to fill. The father of five grown children, and grandfather to six, is following the footsteps of his father, George, a local legend who re- prised the role of Joll y Old Saint Nicholas, not just during the holida y season, but all y ear round. George Crites carried on his role for 37 y ears, greeting children at stores and res-
taurants, handing out his official Santa Claus business card and m a y be a s m all to y y ear round until he passed awa y in April 2011. “M y dad was San- ta 365 da y s a y ear,” said Crites. “And now seeing my self in this role, it’s like déjà vu.” “Before my dad’s
“He loved to see the looks in children’s faces, and he made people believe again in Christmas and its true meaning.”
passing, I consid- ered this my dad’s role. M y dad alwa y s believed in the little things that bring jo y in life.” “He loved to see the looks in children’s faces, and he m ade people believe again in Christ m as and its true m eaning.” Christ m as was a big thing for George, and Brian recalls the Do m tar parties, and the m i- litia parties that his dad set up. George had a special m agic as Santa and it was evident in the m an y causes to which he contributed. Over the y ears George lived in, and trav- elled to m an y places, while he m aintained a su mm er ho m e here in Cornwall. While he lived in Bracebridge, Ont. he was the star attraction at Santa’s Village Fa m il y Entertain m ent Park. People fro m all over the world ca m e to see hi m . On one occasion a car m anufacturer opened up the Christ m as village to 1,800 children to visit hi m , and he loved ever y m inute of
Special photo
Brian Crites, who recently inherited his late father’s role of Santa Claus, is pictured with Mrs. Claus, his wife Donna.
nounce m ent on behalf of cit y council,” said Ma y or Kilger. “Bringing ph y sicians to the cit y is i m portant to the well-being of all of our citizens and b y awarding the scholar- ship to Ms. Robichaud, we are helping to ensure the co mm unit y will be well served b y m edical professionals.” Robichaud is an Honours BA graduate of the Universit y of Ottawa, and is in y ear one of the Universit y of Ottawa’s Facult y of Medicine. She is fluentl y bilingual, and is the recipi- it. Later on he m ade so m e appearances at the Bra m lea Cit y Centre, in Bra m pton, and also spent ti m e with the Tender Wishes Foundation in Niagara Falls for about eight y ears, and he was the guest of honour in Cornwall’s Santa Claus parade for a nu m ber of y ears. The elder Crites had his share of interest- ing m o m ents as Santa, Brian said. Often children would ask hi m if his beard was real. With one tug and the y would realized it was
in fact real. Children would also routinel y ask hi m the age of his fa m ous reindeer Rudolph, and the age of his elves. Brian is now carr y ing on his father’s leg- ac y . He has been the star attraction at the past two Santa Claus parades in Cornwall, the guest of honour at Christ m as breakfasts in town, and was an auspicious visitor at the downtown Christ m as tree lighting cere m o- n y at Po mm ier Court. “The children love it, especiall y my grand-
City names Sarah Robichaud second medical scholarship recipient Local resident and medical student Sarah Robichaud will be the second recipient of the city of Cornwall’s medical scholarship. Cornwall cit y council approved the se- lection of Robichaud at its regular council m eeting last Monda y . ent of nu m erous acade m ic awards, includ- ing the Lieutenant-Governor’s Co mm unit y Volunteer Award for Students in 2007. na m ed the first recipient of the m edical scholarship. Carter is continuing with her studies at the Universit y of Ottawa.
She is a graduate of École secondaire catholique La Citadelle, where she was rec- ognized for her acade m ic and non-acade m - ic leadership qualities. Once she has co m pleted her fa m il y m edi- cine studies and earns her College of Ph y si- cians & Surgeons certification, Robichaud will establish a full-ti m e fa m il y practice in Cornwall. In 2009, Vanessa Carter was
The m edical scholarship was created fro m a reco mm endation m ade b y the Ma y or’s Task Force for Medical Recruit m ent. Its pur- pose is to provide funding opportunities in support of students fro m Cornwall and S, D & G who have been accepted into or are currentl y stud y ing m edicine at a recognized Canadian universit y leading to certification in Fa m il y Medicine.
Robichaud will receive the acade m ic scholarship of $25,000 per acade m ic y ear, worth in total $150,000. The selection was m ade b y a special Co mm ittee pri m aril y for m ed of local m edical professionals. “I a m pleased and proud to m ake this an-
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