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Yukon MLAs celebrate Garbage Truck Santa with tribute

Thursday, 18 December 2025 09:45

By Stuart Cardinal Bonell @BonellStuart

The affectionately named Rudolph the Garbage Truck sits outside the Jim Smith Building for Garbage Truck Santa's tribute at the Yukon Legislative Assembly (Photo: S. Cardinal Bonell)

34 years later, Garbage Truck Santa continues delivering smiles, stickers, and candy canes to Whitehorse kids.

A Whitehorse Christmas tradition was celebrated in a tribute at the Yukon Legislative Assembly this week.

On Wednesday, Minister of Justice Laura Lang, Yukon NDP Leader Kate White, and Yukon Liberal Party Leader Debra-Leigh Reti rose to pay tribute to Garbage Truck Santa, congratulating and thanking him for 34 years on the road in Whitehorse.

Garbage Truck Santa, also known as Wayne Henderson, spoke with CHON-FM after the tribute. He says that he loves what he does, and that community support keeps him going.

“It’s kind of overwhelming sometimes,” said Santa. “I went to Selkirk School today, right? And they played a whole Christmas song, and the whole school sang a choir to Garbage Truck Santa.”

“And it’s stuff like that that really touches me, right? It’s stuff like that that keeps me motivated to do what I do.”

In recent years, Garbage Truck Santa has donated the proceeds from sales of cards and stickers to various local charities, including the Yukon Hospital Foundation and the Yukon Food Bank. This year, he plans to donate to either the Canadian Cancer Society or the MS Society of Canada.

Before Santa took off in Rudolph the Garbage Truck, he shared a message to Yukoners heading into the last week before Christmas.

“I just want to say Merry Christmas to everybody in Whitehorse and Yukon abroad. And, yeah, everybody stay warm, because it’s been cold out there!”

Garbage Truck Santa does regular tours of Whitehorse every year, including visits to schools and workplaces.

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