Who's working Christmas Day in Vancouver, aside from your hardworking CTV News team? A lot of cheerful folks taking it in stride, that's who.
Swaran, a MacClure's cab driver, got up early on Christmas morning and said goodbye to his wife and three children, ages two, six and eight.
It's his fifth year in a row working Christmas, and his kids are always a bit disappointed to see him go. "Yeah, I think a little they are," he said. "I'll see them later today."
But his wife doesn't mind as much. "She is more worried about me having the day off after Christmas, for Boxing Day," he said, cracking a smile. And there's at least one perk to driving a cab on the holidays: generous tips from festive fares. "The most I got once was $20," he said.
But without snow and slush on the streets, business was slow. Swaran said he hadn't picked up a customer for an hour. "I'm going to try and leave early, I think," he said. "We're celebrating one of my son's birthdays today, too, so I'd like to be at home."
Taxi customers were sparse, but things were bustling inside the Scotiabank Theatre on Burrard Street. The crowd wasn't as crazy as last year, when Avatar was still selling out screens across the city, but family-friendly hits like TRON: Legacy and The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader were still keeping staff on their toes.
Andrew was ripping tickets for his first year working Christmas at the theatre. He had hardly a moment's rest from handing out 3D glasses and directing merry movie patrons, but said things were only getting started.
"It's not as busy in the morning. Later on it's going to get much busier," he said. Andrew will be meeting his family in the evening to celebrate. In the mean time, he said he doesn't mind being at work because most customers are in such a good mood.
"People are usually very happy to be at the movies, but sometimes someone has a really bad mood," he said. "Hopefully they see a good movie."
As for perks? "No, none really," he said. "Except the double pay. That's good."
Across the street, Asaki was working at the the Japadog stand. The noon hour rush usually brings a long lineup of hungry, hungry customers to feed. On Christmas, under grey skies and a continuing Environment Canada rainfall warning, the street surrounding the specialty hot dog vendor was barren.
"Not busy at all today," said Asaki, who was passing the time listening to the radio.
She moved to Vancouver from Japan just four months ago. With no family in the city, she said she doesn't mind working the holidays – but she's still counting the seconds until she can leave work, grab her gear and head up to Whistler to go snowboarding.
"I'm going up the mountain with friends. That will be better," she said with a laugh.
