By Michelle Poirier [1]
BELLEVILLE – It’s that time of year again and Santa Claus is in town at the Quinte Mall. [2]
This year the annual tradition of getting your child’s picture taken with Santa has become more inclusive. Silent Santa [3] is a program that was started by the Parents Engaging Autism Quinte [4] and Quinte Mall. It gives children who have sensory disorders or special needs the opportunity to get their pictures taken with Santa outside of the regular hours.
Matt Higgs, marketing director of Quinte Mall, said some children with autism and other sensory disorders cannot handle being in a busy environment like a shopping mall.
“Believe it or not there are some children that have never had the chance to visit Santa,” he said.
Silent Santa hours are taking place on Nov. 22 and Nov. 29 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.