Retired Salvation Army Core Officer Flo Campbell reflected on Meadow Lake's generosity at Christmas over the years. (Elliott Knopp/meadowlakeNOW Staff)

By Elliott Knopp

Flo Campbell

Retired Salvation Army officer reflects on Meadow Lake Christmases

Dec 24, 2021 | 2:00 PM

During the Christmas season, our team at Pattison Media is once again producing positive stories based around holiday traditions and accomplishments for the region.

Here is a Christmas reflection from a longtime member of the Meadow Lake community.

Each year, the spirit of the season and of giving shines bright in Meadow Lake thanks to the significant collective effort from the community.

Over the years, retired Salvation Army Core Officer Flo Campbell has been a key contributor to this aspect.

Campbell served the community through several organizations designed to support those in need. During the Christmas season, she could often be seen assisting with food drives, fundraisers and running the Salvation Army’s signature kettle campaign.

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As she reflected on past Christmases, Campbell recalls several moments that still resonate with her today.

One of the memories is when parents and children came together to help her decorate the church if she would host a service for Christmas. Campbell said the result of their efforts was a dazzling display.

“I went in the church that night to do the service, and there on the platform they had the Christmas tree, the star on the top, all the lights, the tinsel around the pews with poinsettias, and they also had packed little candy bags and toys for each one of the kids that would be there,” she said.

“What was really important was the happiness, the number of people that were out, the kids there that evening and how excited they were.”

From the moment she arrived in the community in January of 1992, Campbell worked closely with authorities and organizations to help the community’s most vulnerable population with challenges they faced.

Outside of their typical day-to-day work, Campbell highlighted an old tradition that would see these organizations come together for a charity hockey game, the Battle of the Badges.

While teams composed of firefighters and the RCMP faced off in a fun exhibition game, the audience would participate in raffles and make food donations to support those in need.

“I’d be sitting over by the firefighters and the RCMP would score and then it was the same for the other team, and we had so much fun,” Campbell said.

“It created a good feeling in the community, and a lot of the community was involved. Everybody knew what night the Battle of the Badges hockey game was.”

While the years have passed and those moments turned into memories, Campbell stated the one aspect that has remained consistent is the overwhelming generosity of the community.

“They help the Salvation Army at Christmas time, they help TeleMiracle, they help Lord knows how many organizations, and if there’s a crisis — house fire or something — the whole community is there.”

Campbell believes the spirit of the season is so strong in the community, the residents are an embodiment of what the spiritual occasion is about.

“Best wishes to everyone in Meadow Lake and the surrounding area. You’re a great, wonderful community and I’m so grateful to have served you in the capacity of the Salvation Army minister.”

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elliott.knopp@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @ElliottKnopp