We invite you to join us in welcoming the Canadian Air Force military aircraft C-130 Hercules to Thunder Bay this Friday December 8th at 11:30am ET as we kick off the 2023 RCMP Toys for the North campaign! Location is Shell Aviation, 316 Hector Dougall Way at the Thunder Bay International Airport.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 7, 2023- Thunder Bay ON – Christmas is in the air! This December, the RCMP, Gardewine Group – Transportation and Logistics and North Star Air will once again deliver toys and more to remote First Nations communities in time for Christmas! Thousands of pounds of hundreds of donated new toys, basic needs items, winter wear, hockey equipment and more will be arriving in Thunder Bay via CAF military aircraft C-130 Hercules this Friday December 8th at 11:30 am ET. “The Toys Campaign continues to be such a huge success.” says Karen Matson, Marketing & Community Relations at North Star Air, “And we couldn’t do any of this if it wasn’t for the Canadian Toy Association who donates the bulk of the new toys. And we can’t forget the vast number of volunteers across the province that contribute their time and energy to ensure the success of the campaign as well!”
North Star Air’s team has been working with the “O” Division Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), participating in the ‘Toys for the North’ charitable drive. The initiative has evolved over the years to include a national network of RCMP, law enforcement, corporate and external partners who collectively contribute to the success of delivering new toys and more to children in remote Northern communities. North Star Air has been a partner of the RCMP Toys for the North campaign for the last 9 years.
The arrival of the Hercules in Thunder Bay this week doesn’t mean the toy journey to the North is over. The toys, along with other donated goods will be air delivered to remote northern Ontario First Nations communities via North Star Air’s flight network with Santa onboard. “We’ll be visiting four First Nation communities in December: Poplar Hill, Deer Lake, Marten Falls and Kasabonika. We’re planning a live in-community television broadcast in Poplar Hill!” continues Matson.
Once the cargo is off-loaded from the Hercules in Thunder Bay on Friday, Gardewine Group – Transportation and Logistics will then move the cargo to their local warehouse where the toys will be sorted by age and gender per community next week. “Our team of volunteers, including members of the Thunder Bay Police Services, will lend hands with the toy sorting as we will need to turn this around quickly this year, ” says Cpl. Darryl Waruk of the RCMP Thunder Bay Detachment. “We are happy to be a part of this generous campaign that brings so much joy to children in remote areas of Canada.”
The toys will then be transported by Gardewine Group – Transportation and Logistics to the North Star Air hangars in Pickle Lake and Red Lake where they will be loaded onto aircraft for their remote First Nation destinations. Representatives from North Star Air, the RCMP, Thunder Bay Police Services, Gardewine and the media along with our very special guest Santa Claus, will bring joy to so many young people of the North thanks to the efforts of the RCMP and the network of donators.
Many thanks to Serena Hassanali and her group at Hearts and Hands In Harmony in Pickering, ON a charity that supports Indigenous mothers and babies. They make quilts, knitted blankets, hats and more for babies and also provides bottles, sippy cups, towels and many other baby items that new moms would need. Last year saw the charity group send 80 layette bags to remote locations!
Travel to the North is planned for December 13 and 14. You can follow our journey north with RCMP Toys for the North and Santa on our North Star Air Facebook page.