WPD Ambulance paramedic supervisor Erik Marcoux, right, drops off toys at the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre during last year’s Cram the Ambulance drive on Dec. 18, 2024. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

By Kenneth Cheung

COMMUNITY SPIRIT

WPD Ambulance challenges the Battlefords to help ‘Cram the Ambulance’ again this year

Nov 17, 2025 | 1:38 PM

The EMS elves are back in action — and this year, they’re hoping to pack even more holiday magic into their rigs.

WPD Ambulance launched its annual Cram the Ambulance toy drive Monday, challenging the community to help stuff ambulances with enough toys to make sure every child in the Battlefords wakes up to a gift on Christmas morning.

Advanced Care Paramedic supervisor Erik Marcoux, who helps organize the campaign, says the tradition has been running 21 years, filling more than 60 ambulances since the first one.

“Last year, over 600 children got Christmas presents,” he said.

Marcoux delivered the first round of toy bins to 11 businesses across the community. Residents can drop off new toys at local donation points, visit WPD Ambulance directly, or join upcoming in-person collection events.

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This year, donation bins are set up across the community at:

• Walmart
• Bridges Chevrolet
• Fishers Drug Store
• Battleford Furniture
• Bee Plus Workplace Solutions
• Home Hardware
• SGI Downtown Office
• Canadian Tire
• Hyundai
• Toyota
• CO-OP Mall

The holiday push includes teddy bear toss nights at both the Battlefords WPD Ambulance Sharks game this Saturday and the North Stars game on Dec. 13. On Dec. 16, paramedics will collect toys outside Canadian Tire from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a final collection day Dec. 17 at Walmart from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Once the bins are emptied for the last time, the crew will pack every available ambulance and deliver the load to The Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre (BDFRC) for distribution.

Donated toys filled the Battlefords District Food and Resource Centre in North Battleford during last year’s Cram the Ambulance campaign. (Kenneth Cheung/battlefordsNOW)

Marcoux says the goodwill from the community continues to impress him.

“I just love seeing how the Battlefords come together just to support kids in need, and especially the last few years, I think everyone’s kind of feeling the pinch financially, and people are still supporting the children,” he said.

“Everyone in the Battlefords is always willing to support each other, which is a great thing.”

Last year, donations filled three ambulances with approximately 1,500 toys. This year, they’re aiming even higher.

“We just had a big donor we’re working on right now. So we actually might be getting up to five ambulances,” Marcoux said.

The campaign runs until Dec. 17 — leaving plenty of time for the Battlefords to help Santa’s paramedic-approved helpers make Christmas a little brighter.

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Kenneth.Cheung@pattisonmedia.com