Christmas in the Hamza Alkhateeb is celebrating his first year - and Christmas - in the City of North Vancouver, and has already become a local celebrity.
Hamza, 11, moved to North Vancouver from Jordan with his family in January. Since arriving in Canada, Hamza and his sister and brother have taken up many activities such as ice skating, karate and swimming, according to their mother, Abeer.
"Actually, it was great. We are having a lot of fun. There are more activities than back in Jordan," says Abeer, reflecting on her family's first year in North Vancouver.
This past February the family went to Cypress Mountain to check out the snow.
"It was not too much snow, but they played with it," says Abeer.
For Hamza, the best part of living in North Vancouver is going to school at Ridgeway elementary, where he is in Grade 6. "And he's so comfortable about everything," says Abeer. "He feels everything here is easygoing."
Hamza is always drawing, especially at night before he sleeps, according to Abeer. The budding artist will draw characters of his own invention, or copy the face of a stuffed animal or doll.
So it seemed only natural for Hamza to enter the city's recent Tis' the Season Holiday Art Contest.
"For the card, I told him: draw what you imagine Christmas is like," recalls Abeer. Hamza put coloured pencils to paper and crafted a snowy Christmas scene: a house decorated with red and green Christmas lights, a wreath and a red roof. Santa Claus emerges from the chimney to give a jolly "Ho, ho, ho." "I think it's from cartoons, the snow falling," says Abeer of the Christmas scene Hamza envisioned.
After Hamza slid his picture into the drop box at city hall, he told his mother he was sure he wasn't going to win the contest. "So when the news came to him, he was super excited about it," says Abeer. Hamza's winning design adorned City of North Vancouver Mayor Darrell Mussatto's holiday greeting card this year. Hamza met the mayor in mid-November and received some special gifts from the city including a gift card to Michaels craft store so he can continue with his artwork, along with a City of North Vancouver toque, bag and T-shirt.
On Dec. 6 came the most exciting moment of all for Hamza, when he helped the mayor light the city's Christmas tree at The Shipyards Christmas Festival.
"He felt so special about it," says Abeer. "All the kids were around him and he was the one who turned the tree on."
