NORAD in North Bay eagerly waits for Santa Claus' arrival to Canada

It's Christmas Eve which means Santa Claus is coming to town tonight and the crew responsible for his escort of Canada is eagerly waiting for his arrival.

"I'm looking forward to this. This is my first time participating in NORAD Tracks Santa," said United States Air Force (USAF) Staff Sgt. Taylor Rowe.

"It's a privilege to be a part of this."

The American and Canadian crew at 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron's Voodoo Flight out of 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base in North Bay is tasked with a delicate mission: identifying Santa, his sleigh and trusty reindeer when they fly over the country and then they track him.The American and Canadian crew at 21 Aerospace Control and Warning Squadron's Voodoo Flight out of 22 Wing/Canadian Forces Base is preparing for Santa's arrival. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)"He starts over the Pacific Ocean and then he starts in Australia and over Japan. When he's ready to come here, our first hit is usually Rudolph's red nose," said Voodoo Flight Commander Maj. Vanessa Larochelle-Meilleur.

When that first hit occurs, the track begins. The crew jumps into action using infrared sensors, ground radar and space satellites to identify that it is indeed Saint Nick and not a trespassing aircraft.

Once he is successfully identified, Royal Canadian Air Force CF-18 fighter jets are scrambled to escort him safely across the country while he delivers presents to deserving children.

"We have a surveillance team that identifies the track that we see and the data that we see on our radar scopes," said Larochelle-Meilleur.

"Then then there's the weapons section that intercepts the aircraft."

For much of the crew, they remember being young themselves and calling into NORAD hoping Santa's sleigh would be getting closer and closer to their location.

"We didn't really have the website when I was younger," said Surveillance Operator Corp. Stephane Jacques thinking of the past.

"But I remember tracking him and writing letters to him. It was really nice and is always one of my favourite times of the year."

Tracking Santa out of North Bay has been the focal point in the country since 1983.

NORAD started the track all the way back in 1955, when an ad directed children to give Santa a phone call directly. However, there was a misprint in the ad. Calls rang through to the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Centre. Operators gave children Santa’s location.

From there, the tradition began and was continued by NORAD in 1958.

The team trains every day for the Christmas Eve track as escorting the jolly man is one of the most important missions on base.

"What takes place on the 24th is no different than any other day of the year," said Rowe smiling.

"We train for NORAD Tracks Santa 24/7 365 days a year."

It's expected Santa's sleigh will be flying over Eastern Canada sometime around 9:00 p.m. That means excited children should be in bed long before he arrives. When he does, the team will be ready.

"We treat Santa Claus no different than any other aircraft," said Rowe jokingly.

The NORAD Tracks Santa website is live and is available in eight languages.

Those who wish to speak with the men and women on duty on Christmas Eve can call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723).