Toys for the North brings Christmas cheer to Keewaywin, North Caribou Lake

Children in two northern Ontario First Nations will have a very special Christmas this year, thanks to a long-running charitable program.

Toys for the North is bringing more than 11,000 kg of toys and other donated goods to the communities of Keewaywin and North Caribou Lake in the coming weeks.

The toys were flown to Thunder Bay on an RCAF Globemaster aircraft on Thursday, and after a few days of sorting, they'll be on the way north.

"There's a need up north," said Andrew Rowe, terminal manager for Gardewine North, one of the companies involved in Toys for the North. "There's not a lot of transportation methods up there."

Rowe said the company has been involved in the program for five years.

"We have a lot of transportation products that we bring up there," he said. "Food, clothing, everything that they require."

"[Toys for the North is] just something that we get to do ... for them as a donation every year," Rowe said. "That's what we've been doing the last five years."

Rowe said the toys include everything from board games to dolls. There's something for every child, nor matter their age,  he said.

Jeff Stout, the president and CEO of North Star Air, said the company has been involved with Toys for the North for a long time, as well.

"This is our seventh year participating," he said. "We've always seen Toys for North as an amazing opportunity to give back to the communities that support us throughout the year."

Stout said that support has been especially important in the last couple of years, due to impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on North Star Air and with the communities it serves.

He said many community members haven't been able to travel to do Christmas shopping in places like Thunder Bay or Sioux Lookout due to the pandemic.

"The ability to bring the toys to them really ensures that a lot of the youth have a good Christmas," Stout said.

This is the second year Toys for the North is making deliveries to North Caribou Lake, but the first time Keewaywin has taken part.