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North Pole Village in Maple Ridge to benefit children with autism

Maple Ridge News - 11/20/2019

Travel to Santa's North Pole Village this season to benefit children with autism.

The village is the creation of Don Taylor who has been decorating his home for the past two weeks.

A Christmas light display greets visitors as they walk through the main gate. On the deck will be Santa's sleigh where people can take pictures.

Inside children will find Santa Claus on a chair in a Christmas setting where people will also be able to take their own photographs. Mrs. Claus will be there too.

Another room will have an entire Christmas village, six large buildings and two smaller ones.

The large buildings are about one metre high and inside will be various Christmas scenes.

"One building is a toy shop. And the bottom floor of the toy shop is toys being made," said Taylor.

The second floor, he said, are toys being painted and the third floor are toys being wrapped.

An electric conveyor belt runs from the toy shop to a barn. It rolls around so it looks like the toys are making their way to the barn where they will be delivered by the reindeer.

Some of the other buildings will contain a dance hall, Santa's house, a candy shop, a greenhouse and a post office.

There will be refreshments and children can receive a stuffed animal by donation.

For the opening weekend The Keg will be on site serving up drinks and steak bites.

The second weekend No Frills will be there serving cookies and drinks.

Taylor first opened his village last year. However, this year, he decided to raise money for Chrysta Learning Centre, a learning centre for children with autism, because his son is enrolled there.

Admission is free for Santa's North Pole Village, but donation boxes will be located in each room.

"If a kid comes in here with five cents and they want to come, they can put the five cents in the cup," he said.

Santa's North Pole Village runs Nov. 23 and 24, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 and Dec. 7 and 8 from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. at 22395 124 Ave. in Maple Ridge.