Another Christmas tradition will be altered in Waterloo Region this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
There will be no shopping mall Santas in the area this year, according to guidelines Waterloo Public Health says it has provided to local shopping centres.
“Public Health has had a couple of inquiries from Malls to consult about how to safely offer a visit/picture with Santa in their settings,” said Chris Komorowski, manager of health protection and investigation with Waterloo Public Health, in a statement.
“Our guidance remains consistent that people need to maintain distancing and kids cannot sit on Santa’s knee for a picture.
He says the agency has approved of some alternative practices for malls to use.
“Public Health is OK with proposals for displays and pictures with Santa as long as distancing (2 m) is maintained between Santa and his workers, other shoppers and children, and there (are) no interactive displays with common touch areas,” he explained.
“We also ask that the mall plan for monitoring and managing the area and line up for crowding.”
Cambridge Centre general manager Monique Morceau confirmed that there won’t be a mall Santa in her shopping centre this year, though it is working on other activities including a double-sided, holiday-themed photo backdrop.
“Guests are encouraged to stop by and snap a pic during the holiday season while keeping with distancing measures and providing a contactless solution for holiday photos,” she said in an email.
She said there will also be seasonal Christmas décor around the mall and community kiosk bookings will be allowed provided they follow necessary health and safety protocols, such as distancing and sanitation.
“As a precautionary measure to help contain the spread of COVID-19, we have made the difficult decision to cancel some public events for this Christmas season,” she said.
Owners of the region’s two other major shopping centres, Fairview Park in Kitchener and Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, both say they are still considering their holiday plans.
“We know that many families are eager to see Santa and with safety being our number one priority, we are offering shoppers options for how they experience the magical tradition of Santa — whether that’s in person or virtually online,” a spokesperson for Cadillac Fairview which operates the Kitchener mall told Global News. “We look forward to sharing details once our plans are finalized.”
A similar response was received from Ivanhoe Cambridge, the company which operates Conestoga Mall.
“Our priority is the security and safety of our tenants, customers and visitors,” spokesperson Gabrielle Meloche said.
“Regarding Conestoga Mall, we are currently evaluating different scenarios for Holiday activations which will comply with the directives issued by the health authorities and therefore can change at any moment, reflecting the pandemic situation. “
On the plus side, while there may not be any mall Santas in the area this year, it also means there will be no long lines to meet a mall Santa this year, either.
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