Reader holiday stories and the Flatlander gift guide

Hello Flatlanders,

In this issue, you will find the first two of our Prairie Christmas stories that readers submitted. If you’d like to share your Christmas story, please feel free to do so here or reply to this email. 

Also, our first-ever holiday gift guide featuring local Manitoba and Saskatchewan businesses is in this issue. Any of the products featured can be bought online. If we’re missing your favourite store, let us know. 

Liz from Winnipeg, MB wrote:

Not sure of the emotion to place on this story. My sister and I were in grades 5 and 6, perhaps. We were not well off, but I now know we weren’t poor either. Christmas meant one gift of my parent’s choosing, and though we were 15 months apart, our gifts were always identical. That year, maybe 1956 or 1957, we both received 4’ beautiful walking dolls. Cecil Rhodes School (now named Keewatin Prairie Community School) decided to do a toy drive for northern community children after Christmas. Students were asked to bring something to give to less fortunate kids. Yes, you are right!!! We took our walking dolls, and no, we didn’t ask or tell our mom first!!! Lordy, was she upset!!!!! We did not get replacement gifts lol, but we felt pretty ok if I remember!!!!

Bernadette from Regina, SK wrote:

When I was a kid, Christmas Eve was a big deal. We’d dress in our new outfits, get into our parkas and boots, and drive to town for the Christmas Eve Pageant at our church. Presented by the Sunday School and Confirmation classes, it featured recitations of Bible verses and Christmas carols about the miraculous birth of Jesus Christ. I loved it! Some years, Mom was the organist. Other years, not, but still, we attended. The church was always packed.

After the pageant, the deacons and elders would hand out the treat bags filled with peanuts and candies, chocolates and mandarin oranges; then we’d head home. Every year, Dad would tease us about seeing Rudolph’s red nose or Santa in the sky, and we’d look, hoping to catch a glimpse of the famous man who delivered gifts to our house every year. We never did see them, of course, but we sometimes pretended we did, especially when younger siblings were around.

When we got home, we raced to the living room for a peek under the tree and were called back if we hadn’t hung our coats properly. Even though Dad had again teased that there’d be coal in our stockings because we were brats, there was always something, always gifts, not always what I’d requested in my letter, but always there was something to keep me happy.

Our 2022 Holiday Gift Guide

Featuring small businesses and makers from across Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

Five stories from Manitoba you may have missed

1. Where Manitobans can catch the CP Holiday Train this weekend
2. ‘Tunnels always meant something secretive’: The history of Manitoba’s century-old tunnel under the Legislature
3. Researchers at University of Manitoba find connection between ground squirrels and climate change
4. Manitoba RCMP officer keeps job but gets transferred after comments made to underage girl
5. After 2-year delay, new Assiniboine Park attraction The Leaf opens to public this Saturday

Five stories from Saskatchewan you may have missed

1. ‘La Ronge, Sask. environmental activist hopes new book will get kids thinking about the land
2. Tour of Saskatchewan Nutrien sites shows challenge, complexity of coming expansion
3. ‘Cautiously optimistic’: Lawyer for trucker in Broncos crash waiting on Federal Court’s deportation decision
4. Sask. Health Authority removes online list of family doctors accepting new patients
5. ‘Part of him with me’: Sask. man fixing up grandpa’s classic truck after finding it for sale on social media

Five stories from The Flatlander you may have missed

1. The Spanish Flu made Winnipeg famous for ghosts, seances
2. Why crosses were burned on the Prairies?
3. The Prairies are responsible for France’s mustard shortage
4. We all know how this story ends
5. The road from Wekusko to Snow Lake

Until next week…

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Thanks for reading, and kind regards,

Kelly-Anne Riess