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Santa flies in to visit kids at Victoria, Nanaimo hospitals, before heading to mainland

Santa used a B.C. Ambulance Service helicopter to visit children and their families at a number of B.C. hospitals Tuesday, beginning at Victoria General Hospital then heading to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital

Santa used a B.C. Ambulance Service helicopter to visit children and their families at a number of B.C. hospitals Tuesday, beginning at Victoria General Hospital then heading to Nanaimo Regional General Hospital before making a number of stops on the mainland. 

Joining him for his 18th annual pre-Christmas hospital-hopping trip was one of his elves, B.C. Emergency Health Services paramedic Joanna Stefani — a member of the Infant Transport Team — along with Helijet International chief executive Danny Sitnam. 

Santa and his friends delivered toys and plenty of holiday joy, while giving his reindeer a rest before their big Christmas flight. 

He’s expected to visit hospitals in Vancouver, Abbotsford, Surrey, and New Westminster later in the day.

jbell@timescolonist.com