'A joyous occasion': NORAD crew waiting for Santa Claus' journey across Canada

Santa Claus is coming to town tonight and the crew responsible for his Canadian escort is eagerly awaiting his arrival, with their eyes glued to their monitors.

21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron Voodoo Flight at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay are tasked with tracking and identifying Santa, his sleigh and his trusty reindeer when they fly over Canada. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)“It's a big mission," said Air Surveillance Technician Sgt. Imre Glaser-Hille, with a smile.

"Our training is going to kick in.”

A team of Canadian and American personnel, known as 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron Voodoo Flight at 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay are tasked with a delicate holiday mission: to identify Santa, his sleigh and trusty reindeer when they fly over Canada.

“Pretty well every single year I've worked on Christmas tracking Santa Claus," said Capt. Adam Murray, the mission crew commander.

"My role is to oversee the ops (operations) floor.”

Anything that flies over Canadian air space must be identified and receive clearance, even Santa himself.

When he’s first spotted, the team jumps right into action.

Norad uses infrared sensors, ground radar and satellites to track Santa Claus and ensure they are dealing with the genuine Saint Nicholas. (Supplied/North American Aerospace Defense Command)

North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) uses infrared sensors, ground radar and satellites to identify that it is indeed Saint Nick. CF-18 jets are then scrambled to escort him safely while he delivers his presents.

"Thankfully Santa Claus slows down so we can get that ID and have that conversation with him," said USAF (United States Air Force) Technical Sgt. Joshua Skinner.

"After that we let him go and he’s off at light speed.”

• Download the CTV News app now
• Get local breaking news alerts

NORAD has been tracking Santa since 1955 — after a young child dialled the misprinted phone number from a department store advertisement in the local newspaper.

That phone rang into the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) Operations Center in Col Springs, Colo.

The operations centre director was quick to realize a mistake had been made and assured the youngster that he was Santa.

The tradition continued when NORAD was formed in 1958 and each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa's location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families across the globe.

“I think it’s very important to continue this tradition," said Glaser-Hille.

"It helps with our training.”

Tracking Santa out of North Bay has been the focal point in the country for 40 years. For many of the crew members, they recall when they were young anxiously waiting for the big man himself.

The exterior of 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base North Bay in March 2020. (File photo/Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

• Want more local news? Check out the North Bay page
• Daily newsletter with the top local stories emailed to your inbox

"When I was a kid, my father was a fighter pilot in the Air Force,” said Murray.

“I’ve known about NORAD Tracks Santa for a long time because he was involved."

While Santa does not have an exact flight path, it is expected he will fly over Eastern Canada around 9 p.m. EST.

Staff at the Wing 22 Forces Base told CTV News that children who believe should be in bed long before he flies over.

“For my nieces and nephews, this is a really important event for them,” said Skinner with a laugh.

“To actually see me as well be a part of it tracking Santa, they’re going to be lit up and bouncing off the walls."

When Santa does arrive, the team will be prepared.

“It's a bit of a joyous occasion," said Murray.

There were over 9.6 million users on the NORAD Tracks Santa website last Christmas and 78,000 calls were made to 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).

Personnel working on the NORAD Tracks Santa project provide real-time updates on Santa's location all day on Dec. 24. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

To check out where Santa is on Christmas Eve, you can log onto the NORAD Tracks Santa website, use the NORAD Tracks Santa App on your Apple or Google Play devices, follow them on ‘X’ formerly Twitter or watch live on their YouTube channel.