The joy of the Christmas season was easy to see in the smiles, waves and hugs between family members and friends greeting each other at the arrivals gate at the Regina International Airport.
To quote the Christmas movie Love Actually, “if you look for it, I think you’ll find that love actually is all around.” That was the case as 980 CJME Reporter Jessika Guse dropped by the airport the week before Christmas.
Young Addison hugs gramma as she gets off the plane from Calgary. Her mom tells me they’re here for the holidays! #yqr pic.twitter.com/MOsSXdeGLq
— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) December 21, 2017
Waving profusely at the arrival gate on Thursday were Joanne Sisetsky and Robbie Gamble as they waited for university student Jamie Conway to come down the escalator.
Lots of big hugs are being had at the airport today as family members fly in for Christmas. University student Jamie Conway is here from Nova Scotia to visit her family! Her Mom Joanne and Aunt Robbie were here to pick her up! #yqr pic.twitter.com/Itgd1vth1w
— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) December 21, 2017
Greeted with big hugs, Conway said she’s happy to see her mom and aunty for the holidays.
“Christmas is all about family for me and I’m very excited to see them again,” she said.
Conway flew in from Nova Scotia and this will be her first Christmas in Saskatchewan. She said she has been told to expect a very cold Christmas in Saskatchewan. She said that’s different from the Maritimes where it’s humid and they just get lots of snow.
“It was time to do something different, we haven’t been here for Christmas in a long time and my daughter Jamie has never been here for Christmas so we thought we’d just congregate here,” Sisetsky said.
Nearby another group stood out from the crowd holding up two cardboard boxes with no message on them as they waited for their friend.
Shelby and Delaney hold up their ‘homemade signs’ for their friend Steve as he flys in … a tradition that goes back some three years ago. Delaney jokes it took a while to find the perfect sign with the right amount of water damage #yqr pic.twitter.com/Sz9Gt1qdU7
— Jessika Guse (@JessikaGuse) December 21, 2017
“It says centennial food service, a nice box with a little water damage – nothing says welcome home like that,” Shelbey Olsen said with a laugh.
She and her cousin Delaney started the tradition of picking up family and friends with oddball signs a few years ago.
“Her parents came back from a honeymoon and we just had this piece of plywood really and everybody thinks it’s a sign so it’s kind of funny because they assume you’re saying you’re welcoming home somebody,” Olsen explained.
The inside joke of holding a different type of sign has lasted more than three years. It drew a laugh from Steve Shultz as he arrived.
“Well I know Delaney, so I just thought that’s normal for her.”
It’s the busiest time of year at airports across the continent and this year many airports are seeing a spike in passengers compared to last year.
Even at the smaller airports like Regina and Saskatoon, travellers should prepare for long lineups at security, even with every line open.
If you are travelling with gifts remember not to wrap them. Airport authorities explained there’s a good chance any wrapped presents could be unwrapped by security, even if they are in checked baggage.