Santa Claus was kind enough to squeeze some time out of his busy holiday schedule to sit down with Oak Bay B次元官网网址 and share with us some behind-the-scenes secrets.

Oak Bay B次元官网网址 - Do your reindeer live forever or do you bring new ones on?

Santa - Magically, they live forever. I sprinkle magic elf dust on their food and that rejuvenates them. They stay young forever.

OBN - Do elves ever come on your sleigh with you to help deliver presents?

Santa - Sometimes I bring a couple of my senior elves, just to help me out to make sure the bags stay solidly on the sleigh.

OBN - How do you know where to bring the presents if the children are away from home visiting relatives for Christmas?

Santa - Well, I have a whole crew of elves up in the north pole that keep track of all those things for me. So I keep an eye on all the boys and girls all year round all over the world.

OBN - How fast does your sleigh go?

Santa - Oh my gosh, it is fast like lightning! You would not believe it. Rudolf has all those reindeer trained so well, they just *finger snap* and a whistle and a way we go dashing off across the world.

OBN - Have you always lived at the North Pole? Did you grow up there?

Santa - Well, I always have. I love the snow. I have such a great facility up there, you know, itB次元官网网址檚 like a magic castle. And all my friends, and the elves, and of course Mrs. Claus.

OBN - What are your favourite cookies?

Santa - That would have to be gingerbread. IB次元官网网址檝e tried them all, as you know, but gingerbread really is my favourite.

OBN - Do you like whole milk or 2 per cent milk?

Santa - I like the real stuff. The whole milk. Absolutely. I didnB次元官网网址檛 get like this from drinking 2 per cent, you know. Ho Ho Ho Ho!

OBN - Sometimes it seems you are in two places at once. How is that possible?

Santa - I have a lot of helpers all around the world. I couldnB次元官网网址檛 possibly be everywhere all at the same time, so I do have helpers. Like for example the mall Santas and the breakfast with Santa. That sort of thing. I do make special trips from time to time, like tonight for this interview!

OBN - Do you wear your Santa suit all the time or just when you are delivering presents?

Santa - I tend to wear it whenever I go outside. It is nice and toasty warm. But around the house I have some more casual clothes. I always wear my suspenders of course. I like red. Red and white, those are my favourite colours.

OBN - Do you have any children of your own?

Santa - No, regrettably I donB次元官网网址檛, but all the children in the world, I look at them as being my children so I have a full house.

OBN - Do you pay your elves and reindeer?

Santa - Of course I pay them. Handsomely. They love treats. They love the odd holiday. I send them down to Victoria and to various places. Of course they go rather incognito. We donB次元官网网址檛 want them dressed as elves when they visit the south. So yes, we do pay them and they are all very, very happy.

OBN - What is one of your favourite spots in Oak Bay?

Santa - We are kinda sitting in it here. I love the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. You know that fireplace goes way back to the early 1900s. They saved it when they built this new building. They reproduced it and used some of the materials, I believe the bricks are the original too. I know the soot is too when I come down that chimney. Ho Ho Ho! There are other places too. Beach Drive is fantastic and Oak Bay Avenue is amazing in the wintertime.

OBN - Thank you so much for talking to us today, Santa.

Santa - Nice to see you again. Be good, behave yourselves now. And donB次元官网网址檛 forget the cookies and milk and a carrot for Rudolf.