Nishnawbe Aski Police prepare to deliver Christmas toys
7,000 children will benefit from toys donated by Canadian Toy Association member companies
Members of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police service (NAPS) are wrapping Christmas presents today in Thunder Bay.
The Canadian Toy Association has donated $110,000 worth of toys for children in remote northern communities.
Many of those will be shipped in the coming days to First Nations in the northwest.
“Christmas is a time of year for giving. Children in remote areas don't have access to services that provide extra Christmas toys at this time of year,” said Sergeant Jackie George, who speaks for the police service. “The communities up north feel … appreciative.”
After wrapping the toys, the Nishnawbe-Aski Police will make arrangements to transport them to those communities.
The donated toys are part of a coordinated effort between the following agencies: RCMP, NAPS, Canadian Toy Association, Thompson Terminals, Canadian Armed Forces, and Wasaya Airways.
From CFB Trenton to points north
The organizations have worked together for the last four years on the “Toys for the North” drive.
It is expected that more than 7,000 children will benefit this year from the program, which sees the toys donated by member companies of the Canadian Toy Association.
The collected toys were first warehoused and transported to CFB Trenton by Thomson Terminals. Following that, the Canadian Armed Forces transported the toys to places like Winnipeg, Thunder Bay and Goose Bay. Finally, NAPS will ensure that the toys that were transported to Thunder Bay get delivered to the isolated northern communities selected to be this year’s recipients in time for Christmas.
NAPS polices 34 communities across the Nishnawbe-Aski Nation territory. NAN is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities within northern Ontario with the total population of membership (on and off reserve) estimated around 45,000 people.