Meet Orillia's Kris Kringle, Steve Olimer. He's the main attraction of this year's Santa Claus parade, but this jolly old elf will have a much bigger audience than that thanks to a sweet new gig.
Portraying Santa Claus is in Olimer's blood. His father was Santa Claus for countless events, commercials, and for Santa's Village in Bracebridge from the late '70s until 1993.
"I remember when I was in public school, I got sent to the office one day for saying that my dad was Santa," Olimer said. "The teacher told me to not make up such stories."
Olimer's father visited the school later that day in his red suspenders and told the staff they were being put on the naughty list.
Olimer debuted as Father Christmas in the '80s during a breakfast with Santa event at Kmart.
"I was only a teenager," he said. "My mom and my sister helped me with the fake beard, and they painted my eyebrows white with Halloween paint."
Olimer, 60, says he enjoyed being in disguise and copying some of his dad's best Santa expressions. He would go on to occasionally fill in for his dad at Santa's Village.
"It was a wonderful experience," he said.
When Olimer retired from being a teacher at Orchard Park Public School in 2022, he was encouraged by Doug Drysdale to be Santa at his tree farm in Egbert during the Christmas season. It had been about a decade since he last put on the suit.
"I had my dad's suits still," he said. "My mom used to make the suits because they weren't available in my dad's size back in the day."
The magic and spirit of Christmas had Olimer hooked from the minute he returned to his role as Saint Nick.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year when everybody is in the giving spirit," he said. "The decorations, the lights, the stories, and seeing the bewilderment in children's eyes when they see me as Santa is what I love the most."
Olimer, who has also been a popular local DJ since 1982, is now following in his father's footsteps by sitting in the big chair at Santa's Village each summer. He has also done several school visits, Christmas parties, and even weddings.
"I have an entirely Christmas-themed wedding coming up in 2025 where they want Santa to perform the ceremony," he said. "That's going to be a lot of fun."
Earlier this year, Olimer was discovered through his website and Instagram by KitKat. The makers of the popular chocolate bar asked him to audition for the role of Santa for a new Christmas commercial.
"My wife helped me with making some audition videos and we sent one in," he said. "They mailed me back right away."
The commercial was filmed during a 10-hour production in a mansion in Ajax. Olimer says there were about 100 people involved in shooting the 30-second commercial.
"I was just amazed with how they put it all together," he said. "They did so many takes to get everything just right."
Olimer, who owns more than a dozen Santa suits, is now recognized as Mr. Claus almost everywhere he goes. He is often followed by children when he's doing his grocery shopping.
"I always carry tokens that say 'I've met Santa Claus' and 'I'm on the nice list,'" he said. "I always have a handful in my pocket that I'm ready to give."
Olimer's next gig as the Jolly Old Elf will be the Downtown Orillia BIA tree-lighting ceremony on Nov. 22 and the Orillia Santa Claus Parade the following night.
"I'm so looking forward to it," he said. "I'm supercharged with Christmas spirit."
Olimer says his grandchildren are also "stoked" to see him on the big float later this month.
"My family knows it's something that I enjoy doing," he said. "It's something I can see myself doing until I can't do it any longer."
Olimer will also be spreading holiday cheer at the Ugly Christmas Sweater Dance Party at ODAS Park on Dec. 7.
