Making the Santa House a ho-ho-home

Transcona

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This article was published 06/12/2023 (760 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If there was a search engine specifically trained on Transcona, “What is The Santa House?” would be the most popular search during these past few weeks. Thankfully, Wally and Carolina Welechenko invited me into their rental property on 737 Regent Ave, West to meet a very special tenant: Santa Claus himself.

Beginning in mid-October, the Welechenkos have been hard at work transforming their 1931 construction property into a multi-set studio featuring a seating area for photos with Santa and Mrs. Claus, a cozy Christmas den, nutcracker soldiers, and even a lair for the Grinch, who I’ve been told is a frequent visitor.

“I want people to walk in like they’re walking into Narnia,” Wally told me during our conversation about preparing the space for Santa and his visitors. “This year we made special effort to utilise the house and turn it into The Santa House.”

After my tour of the space, Wally also gave me a sneak peek at an upcoming outdoor display, where guests will be able to take photos in a horse-drawn carriage from the 1920s.

“Everyone is welcome” underpins the philosophy of The Santa House. “It’s a more relaxed setting, more intimate, more cozy,” Wally says, “We’ve had a mother whose child is autistic who couldn’t wait in line at the mall… a six month old recently… and we’ve had people who are much older.”

“And pets,” Carolina added. Guests typically book a 15 to 30 minute session where they have one-on-one access to Santa, Mrs. Claus, and the sets in a sensory-friendly and pet-friendly environment. They can use their own cameras for a base price, or have their hosts run the photo session as part of a premium package.

The Santa House is open for bookings every day from 11 a.m. through 8 p.m., and there is a chance that as the demand for photographs increases nearer Dec. 25. If so, the Welechenkos will try to extend their hours to meet the needs of families seeking last-minute photos before Santa returns to the North Pole.

As it stands, the people of Transcona must have been especially nice this year since Wally and Carolina have suggested that Santa is already planning on returning to our neighbourhood next year.