Decoding the reindeer names on Santa’s NWT permit this year

The NWT has issued Santa’s annual reindeer permit to ensure safe passage across the territory on the big day. But who the heck are the new reindeer on the list?

The territory’s Department of Environment and Climate Change has made a point since 2022 of issuing a permit to Santa each Christmas, which is an important document and in no way a transparent ploy to attract social media shares.

The latest permit was made public on Tuesday – apparently a little early, as it’s dated December 19. (Cue a Cabin Radio investigation into reindeer smuggling and departmental fraud.)

Reindeer transport permits do actually exist in the NWT, though no others receive this kind of public treatment. The one issued to Santa each December lists the names and birthdates of each reindeer chosen to help haul the sleigh worldwide.

Last year, mild controversy arose when one of the reindeer on the permit was identified as McClane – suggesting St Nick had taken a position on whether or not Die Hard, which features Bruce Willis as John McClane, is a Christmas movie.

This year, unpacking Santa’s reindeer naming strategy requires a little more effort.

The standard nine-reindeer A team – featuring Rudolph, Donner, Blitzen and co – is on the permit as usual. Those nine have been ever-present and their status as legit front-line reindeer is unquestioned.

A reindeer named Hot Frosty is on the list for a second successive year, suggesting Santa is a fan of Yellowknife actor Dustin Milligan.

Then there are three newcomers to the roster whose names imply Santa loves Christmas movies in general and can’t get enough – even if the movie is relatively obscure or, if we’re honest, not very good.

The first new name is Garcia, who is given a birthdate of November 15, 2024. 

While no further information about Garcia is provided, there’s an anthropomorphic polar bear named Agent Garcia in the Christmas action comedy Red One, which was released in North America on November 15, 2024. (“Wholly lacking in holiday magic, Red One is a ho-ho-hum action-adventure,” movie review site Rotten Tomatoes concluded.)

The second new reindeer on the permit is Kiyoko, with a birthdate of November 8, 2003. 

Released in Japan on November 8, 2003, the animated movie Tokyo Godfathers is described as a “Christmas tragicomedy” in which three people try to find the parents of an abandoned newborn named Kiyoko. (Legendary critic Roger Ebert called Tokyo Godfathers “harrowing and heartwarming,” though it took only US $847,000 at the box office on a budget of $2.4 million.)

Lastly, a reindeer named Valentine appears on the permit with a birthdate of June 8, 1983.

Released on June 8, 1983, Trading Places follows Dan Aykroyd and Eddie Murphy in a comedy about a commodities broker and street hustler whose lives are swapped. Forget the June release date – it’s largely set between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and has since come to be regarded as a Christmas movie.

The name of the hustler in Trading Places? Billy Ray Valentine.