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Jingle Boat Express cancelled

A popular North Coast holiday tradition won’t be making its return for 2016.
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A popular North Coast holiday tradition won’t be making its return for 2016.

The Jingle Boat Express, a sponsored community sailing for children to meet Santa and his elves on a vessel within the Prince Rupert inner harbour, won’t be available to the consistently sold out crowds of North Coast families.

The vessel typically used for the Jingle Boat Express is not available for the holiday season this year and the organizers for the event – the Port of Prince Rupert, Northern Savings Credit Union and Success by 6 North Coast regret bringing the news to the community, but plan to hold a few replacement events to the children of the North Coast.

“For the past three years Northern Savings and the other Jingle Boat Express sponsors are proud to have provided over 500 local residents with a fun, safe and unique holiday-themed experience in Prince Rupert’s beautiful harbour,” said Stefan Delloch, branch manager at Northern Savings Credit Union. “While the Jingle Boat Express requires a great deal of resources, the event has been tremendously successful and we are looking forward to the future.”

This year, the Port of Prince Rupert is bringing a ‘Pictures with Santa’ event to the community – a free event hosted at the Port Interpretive Centre on Saturday, Dec. 3 where Santa will pose for portraits, with immediate pick-up, from 1 – 3 p.m.

A free holiday dinner will also be provided by the United Way for 150 seniors residing in assisted living at a later date.

A free swim is scheduled at the Earl Mah Aquatic Centre on Dec. 3 from 2 – 4 p.m., sponsored by Northern Savings.

The port’s Krista Ediger, community relations associate, said the sponsors are working hard to bring back the vessel for next year.

“We are planning to bring the Jingle Boat Express back in 2017, provided that we can secure transportation. This year we are looking at other ways we can support our community with resources normally dedicated to the Jingle Boat Express,” Ediger said.

Kate Toye, Success by 6 North Coast regional coordinator, added that the public can still take advantage of a host of community-wide holiday treats provided by the Special Events Society.

“Although this is not the news that we wanted to give our community, it is wonderful that there are so many other amazing events put on by the Special Events Society during Winterfest that everyone can partake in. I encourage you all to connect in your own meaningful cultural and traditional ways with friends and family this holiday season,” she said.