Santa is in short supply in Vancouver this holiday season

He's making a list — but might be too busy to be checking it twice. 

Santa-for-hire companies in Greater Vancouver are seeing an increased demand for services. But many Santas are reluctant to entertain amidst a pandemic.

Rozmin Watson, the North Pole operations manager at Hire A Santa, said that they are short on Santas compared to previous years and have had to turn down many requests. 

Watson said the lack of Christmas parties could be contributing to the shortage. 

"Prior to COVID, we used to do a lot of corporate events … there used to be one Santa for all these families on one day," said Watson. 

Because many of these large holiday events are not happening, more families are requesting private visits. 

Watson also said many clients are still not ready to go into retail spaces with their kids and prefer private Santa visits to the mall experience. 

Many Santas halted entertaining during the pandemic. Watson said during the 2020 Christmas season, some of their Santas even shaved their beards. 

Billy Shardlow or "Santa Bill" from Here Comes Santa, another Santa-for-hire company in Greater Vancouver, has also noticed a higher demand for his service. 

Despite the rise in bookings, he says many Santas are worried about working during the pandemic. Those that are still working are flooded with requests. 

"Some of the Santas are working overtime, everyday, to get this thing done." 

Santa Bill is taking precautions in his visits, including wearing a face shield and having children sit on a bench eight feet in front of him for photos. 

"Some are chancing it and some aren't, but I'm very cautious about what I do." 

Santa Bill said because of his precautions, this year he will make about 20 per cent of what he normally would make in a season. 

"I'm not really concerned about the money. I'm concerned about the safety."

Other parts of the country have also seen a Santa shortage, including Ontario and Nova Scotia. 

Santa Claus is coming to malls

Santa has returned to some malls in the Lower Mainland for the first time in two years, including CF Richmond Centre and Park Royal. 

But the days of lining up for Santa and sitting on his lap are over. 

Now, an appointment must be scheduled. Children are not allowed to touch, hug, or sit on Santa's lap. Some establishments require children 12 and above to show proof of vaccination.