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There are many places where Christmas magic lives.
It’s in in the glow of winter windows, in crisp December air and in the laughter of children that drifts through snowy streets.
Read more Saskatchewan Stories from Brittany Caffet:
- Kids of Note: Celebrate Christmas with Saskatoon’s inclusive choir
- Behind the lights: How Saskatoon’s Enchanted Forest comes to life
- 90-year-old hockey players prove you’re never too old to play
But on one ordinary December day at Midtown mall in Saskatoon, the holiday magic shimmered brightly between a five-year-old boy named Cassian Dyck and the man in red himself.
Cassian arrived with a mind full of serious questions — the kind of questions only a kindergarten philosopher could craft.
Other kids bring wish lists, but Cassian brought inquiries.
And Santa? Well, Santa had no idea what was about to hit him.
Like any good reporter, Cassian Dyck put a lot of thought into the questions he would ask Santa before sitting down for his big interview. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Listen to the story on Behind the Headlines:
Cassian opened the conversation with a jab straight to Santa’s longevity.
“How old are you?” he asked.
Santa chuckled, as though he’d been waiting centuries for someone to ask so plainly.
“Well, that’s a good question. You know, I quit counting at 1700 years… I’m 17,145 years old. How old are you?”
“I’m five,” Cassian said proudly.
Santa paused. “Wow. So I think I’m a little older than you.”
Just a little.
Dairy decisions and the Baileys bombshell
Having established that Santa was indeed ancient, Cassian pivoted to something far more important: dairy.
“What happens if somebody forgets to leave milk?” he asked.
Santa, a seasoned diplomat, reassured him: “That’s OK. Santa does like it, but some people just don’t have it and that’s OK.”
But Cassian still needed details.
“What kind of milk do you have?” he pressed, hoping Santa would clarify whether he meant cow’s milk or almond or oat or any of the other options lined up in his family fridge. He was determined to avoid a Christmas Eve milk mishap.
Santa volleyed back: “What type do you like?”
“I like normal milk,” Cassian replied confidently.
Santa approved. “Well, so does Santa. Santa likes all the milk.”
Cassian Dyck’s eyes widened as Santa approached, but he maintained his composure like a true professional. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
And then came the question — the one that makes grown-ups exchange a little knowing glance.
“Do you like Baileys?” Cassian asked innocently.
In response, Santa delivered the cleanest political sidestep in North Pole history.
“When your mommy and daddy leave Baileys out, do you know who drinks the Baileys? Your daddy does. Santa doesn’t drink when he’s out on his trip.”
And that, folks, is how Santa avoids a holiday scandal.
Salads and Santa’s sense of direction
Cassian pressed on. “Do you eat your vegetables?”
Santa, like a man who has recited the same speech to many a vegetable-averse elf, quickly replied.
“Santa eats salad,” he said. “We have a greenhouse in the North Pole.”
Cassian, satisfied that Santa wouldn’t develop scurvy, jumped to global logistics.
“Do you use Google Maps?” he asked.
Santa proudly revealed his proprietary system.
“I have the North Pole mapping system,” Santa explained. “It guides my reindeers all over the world.”
The biggest interview of his career (so far)! Cassian Dyck is only five, but he’s already done a hard-hitting interview with one of the biggest celebrities in the world. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Inside Santa’s security protocols
Cassian leaned in, ready for the tactical briefing.
“How do you get in if somebody doesn’t have a chimney?” he asked.
“I have a magic key and some magic dust that helps me get into any building,” Santa replied, patient and practiced.
Cassian squinted. “Even if they’re locked?”
“Yes, even if they’re locked,” Santa nodded. “I have that special key.”
Cassian pressed deeper, thinking of the brand-new keypad at home — that mysterious glowing grid of numbers he’d watched his parents tap like secret agents.
“Do you know the codes?” he asked, his eyes narrowed.
“If they have those new electronic things, I’ve got a little decoder,” Santa explained.
“We have one,” Cassian said.
“Yeah, I know,” Santa replied, unflinching.
In that moment, Santa won the trust of one five-year-old boy forever.
An exclusive interview and an exclusive experience! Santa invited Cassian to try on his coat, a special garment that has graced very few shoulders. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
Reindeer bathroom logistics
Next came the question every adult has wondered, but never had the nerve to ask:
“Do they poop when you fly?” Cassian inquired.
Santa responded like a man who has clearly answered this before.
“That would be messy, wouldn’t it? They do that when we’re on the ground. When they fly, they’re concentrating solely on getting Santa to all the boys’ and girls’ homes,” he said.
Professionals. Every one of them.
Sports talk with Santa
Soon, Cassian’s questions turned to one of his favorite topics: sports. He began with baseball.
“Did you watch the World Series?” he asked.
“Yes, I did,” Santa nodded. “Did you? And what Blue Jay did you like?”
Cassian didn’t hesitate. “I like Springer and Vladdy.”
Santa offered a bit of insider wisdom from the man who sees these players when they are sleeping and knows when they are awake.
“I like them all. But do you know who works the hardest on that team? Is Kirk, the back catcher.”
“Yeah, he works the hardest,” Cassian replied, recognizing truth when he hears it.
But Cassian wasn’t done. The sports tour continued.
“Were you cheering for Riders in the Grey Cup?” the five-year-old asked.
Santa smiled, carefully threading the needle between fandom and neutrality.
“I cheer for all the football teams, both CFL and NFL. But yes, the Riders did very, very well, and Santa enjoyed watching the game.”
Cassian, ever fair-minded, added: “Yeah, they’re all really good players. I like all of them.”
“That’s what Santa likes, too,” the man in red replied. “I cheer for the effort they put into it and the fun that they have playing.”
A core memory in the making. Cassian said he will never forget his interview with Santa. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
The conversation inevitably arrived at the great Canadian pastime: hockey.
“What’s your favorite hockey team?” Cassian asked. Santa revealed a team the NHL has somehow failed to televise.
“The North Pole Wolves,” he said. “We have a league among the elves.”
Cassian wanted to know what position Santa played.
“Usually I’m sitting on my bum on the ice… I go ‘BOOM!’ and I fall down,” Santa confessed with admirable honesty.
From home runs to touchdowns to slapshots, Cassian ran through all his favorite sports in a single conversation — and Santa answered like a man who keeps one eye on the nice list and the other on the sports highlights.
The bedtime contract
As their conversation wrapped up, Santa leaned close.
“I’ll see you at Christmas but you know you won’t see me. Do you know why?”
Cassian answered matter-of-factly.
“Yeah, because I’m gonna be at bed.”
Santa nodded, relieved. “So when mom and dad tell you it’s bedtime on Christmas Eve, what do you do?”
“Go to bed,” Cassian quickly replied.
“Thank you,” Santa said, grinning. “You got the right answer.”
Within minutes of meeting, the pair were acting like old friends. Santa reassured Cassian that he is definitely on the nice list this year! (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
The magic of a five-year-old mind
In a mall full of shoppers, twinkling lights and holiday noise, something rare happened that day.
Christmas didn’t show up in a sleigh or in a song; it showed up in the form of a tiny boy asking some enormous questions.
Questions about age, milk, chimneys, sports and the bathroom habits of airborne reindeer. Questions only a child would think to ask. Questions Santa clearly loved answering.
And somewhere, in the laughter between them, the magic settled in quietly — warm, silly, sincere and unforgettable.
Just as Christmas magic always does.
It’s unclear who had more fun during this interview, Cassian or Santa Claus. (Brittany Caffet/650 CKOM)
