Christmas in Ontario
Heart-warming Legends, Tales, and Traditions
AUTHOR: Cheryl MacDonald
FORMAT: 5.5 x 8.5 pb / 128 pages
ISBN-10:1-55153-779-6
ISBN-13: 9781551537795
Christmas is a time for celebrating with friends
and family and for sharing stories, memories, and good cheer. This compilation
brings to life the very best holiday stories from across Ontario. From the
early days of exploration to the modern day, and from heartwarming inspirational
tales to dangerous escapades, this is a collection to treasure for many years
to come.
Prologue
Jimmy was a very sick boy. The rare lung ailment he had
been suffering from for years kept him in the hospital at
Christmastime. Doctors held little hope of recovery. His parents
were struggling to pay his medical bills. Generous neighbours
helped out occasionally by slipping five-dollar bills under the
milk bottles on the front porch. Being in the hospital was so
boring that sometimes he and the other young patients threw
porridge at the ceiling just for something to do.
Christmas was the worst. The hours dragged on and
on. He wanted to go home, wanted to be out of the hospital
for good.
Then Santa arrived,
and his spirits lifted. He was thrilled to see the
familiar red suit and the flowing white beard. Santa's
laughter made him feel better than any medicine could. As
he looked around, he saw that other children felt the same
way. It was absolutely wonderful the way so many sad little
faces lighted up as the jolly old gentleman moved around
the room.
All too soon,
Santa was gone. After a few minutes, Jimmy wandered
along the hospital corridor. Then he saw Santa or was
it? The man was sipping a glass of wine, and Jimmy
suddenly realized this was a real person, not the magical
bringer of Christmas presents. The white beard and
hair were just a costume.
He also realized
something else. If an ordinary man could play Santa
Claus and bring joy to so many children, maybe he could,
too. At that moment, Jimmy made a promise. If he ever
got better, he would become Santa. He would visit children in
hospitals, just as this Santa had done, and he would make
them smile and forget about their problems for awhile.
About the Author
Cheryl MacDonald has been writing on historical topics for nearly 30 years. Her work has appeared in numerous magazines, including The Beaver and Maclean's, and she has written a number of books, mostly relating various aspects of southern Ontario history.
Cheryl holds history degrees from the University
of Waterloo and McMaster University and is currently pursuing
graduate studies. A grandmother of two, she lives on a large
rural property close to Lake Erie and about 90 minutes west
of Niagara Falls.
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