How Canada’s Armed Forces Are Ready to Track Santa’s Sleigh in 2025
Every year as Christmas Eve approaches, there’s a familiar kind of excitement in the air, and it’s not just about gifts under the tree. Once again in 2025, the Canadian Armed Forces are preparing to do something they’ve been doing quietly and proudly for decades: help track Santa Claus as he makes his legendary journey around the world. While it might sound like pure holiday fun, this tradition is taken surprisingly seriously, especially by members of the Royal Canadian Air Force stationed in North Bay, Ontario.
With snow already falling across parts of Canada, conditions are shaping up nicely for a classic white Christmas. That’s good news for Santa, and it’s also when the teams at 22 Wing step into action. For about 60 years now, Canadian military personnel have worked alongside NORAD to monitor Santa’s sleigh on Christmas Eve, ensuring his route through the skies is smooth and uninterrupted. What started as a simple mistake in a U.S. newspaper ad back in the 1950s has since grown into a beloved international tradition.
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The story goes that a misprinted phone number once directed children calling Santa straight to a military operations center. Instead of hanging up, the officer on duty played along, telling kids where Santa was flying at that moment. That small, kind decision sparked what we now know as NORAD Tracks Santa, and Canada officially joined in about a decade later. Since then, the tradition has been carried forward year after year.
Today, nearly a thousand military and defence personnel across North America contribute to the effort. In North Bay alone, around 30 to 40 people work Christmas Eve shifts, monitoring radar, satellites, and communications systems. The skies are carefully watched, weather conditions are factored in, and even restricted airspace is managed to make sure Santa can pass freely. After all, it’s been said that Santa is allowed to go wherever he needs to go on this one special night.
Families can follow along too, watching Santa’s progress throughout December 24 using trackers, apps, phone lines, and even smart assistants. According to those involved, Santa is usually easy to spot once he leaves the North Pole, thanks in part to Rudolph’s famously bright red nose. Even heavy snow or fog hasn’t slowed him down in the past, and it’s believed that Santa has perfected his route after centuries of practice.
For the military members involved, working on Christmas Eve can be bittersweet. Being away from family isn’t easy, but many see it as a privilege. This isn’t just another shift, it’s a chance to be part of a moment that brings joy to millions of families. For one night a year, duty and holiday magic come together, and Santa’s journey is watched over with care, tradition, and a whole lot of festive spirit.
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