Vaughan Mills has launched one of the most ambitious holiday attractions seen in a Canadian shopping centre with the debut of Santa’s Magical Library AR journey Vaughan Mills. The immersive experience opened to the public on November 16 and introduces a new approach to seasonal programming that blends storytelling, augmented reality and live performance. The result is a narrative holiday journey designed to engage families, strengthen community connection and reimagine how a Santa experience can function within a major retail destination.
Developed and produced in partnership with Montreal-based Studio Artefact Inc., the experience reimagines what a Santa visit can be, shifting from a traditional photo moment toward a story-driven journey that brings families directly into Santa’s world. In this first edition, children enter a setting where beloved characters from Santa’s Great Book of Imagination have wandered away from their stories. Only young visitors can help restore the magic by reading, believing and discovering what makes them uniquely special.
Vaughan Mills expects the new concept to serve as a major seasonal draw, creating reasons for families to engage with both the immersive attraction and the broader retail environment at a time when Canadian shopping centres are investing heavily in experiential innovation. The Santa’s Magical Library AR journey Vaughan Mills activation is positioned as a centrepiece of the property’s holiday season, with the potential to become an annual tradition supported by evolving story themes and new collectible books each year.
“We’re not just updating the Santa experience, we’re reimagining what’s possible when you combine storytelling magic with cutting-edge technology,” says Rhonda Richmond, Regional Marketing Director, Ontario with JLL Canada. “This experience proves that innovation and impact can go hand in hand creating magical moments for families, while simultaneously supporting life-changing care at SickKids. When children visit Santa and pledge to keep the magic of stories alive by reading, they’re not just participating in entertainment, they’re part of a movement that has raised over one point two million dollars for pediatric healthcare.”
Inside Santa’s Library: An Immersive Journey from Check-In to Storybook Magic
The experience begins long before families meet Santa. Upon arrival, guests check in with a costumed librarian who guides them into a private storytelling chamber. Inside, an enclosed circular room is wrapped in digital screens, creating a cinematic moment in which Santa explains that his story characters have escaped, setting the narrative in motion.
Jennifer Dunn, Senior Director of Marketing at JLL and one of the leaders behind the project, says the team spent considerable time studying how Santa experiences across North America have evolved.
“We have been watching how Santa experiences have changed over the years, and what we kept learning is that digital elements are exciting, but the real magic still comes from in-person theatre and human connection,” says Dunn. “Families remember how they felt, not just the visuals. That insight guided everything about this project.”
In the storytelling room, children are transported through different realms tied to the stories Santa protects. The 2025 theme is belief, emphasizing imagination, reading and the idea that everyone has something unique that fuels the magic of the season. When the story sequence concludes, an elf opens a set of doors and leads the group directly into Santa’s library, a richly detailed environment filled with oversized books, glowing story props and Santa himself.
Santa invites children to gather around the Great Book of Imagination, placing their hands on an interactive version of the book. When they do, coloured lights pulse and animate throughout the set, symbolizing the return of magic through belief. Families then move into a dedicated photo moment before receiving the annual collectible storybook that corresponds with the season’s theme.
A Journey That Continues Beyond the Santa Visit
One of the defining features of Santa’s Magical Library AR journey Vaughan Mills is that the experience does not end when families leave Santa’s set. A companion mobile app extends the story across the shopping centre through AR-enabled touchpoints. QR markers positioned throughout the property allow children to collect missing characters, unlock digital animations and take part in challenges linked to the narrative.
“The mobile app provides an open access layer to the experience,” says Dunn. “If a family cannot secure a booking, they can still participate through the AR touchpoints throughout the centre. And for those who do visit Santa, it becomes a continuation of the story rather than the end of it.”
This structure also reflects Vaughan Mills’ broader strategy of engaging families across longer periods of time within the shopping environment. By merging the physical set with centre-wide AR activations, the experience aims to influence traffic flow, dwell time and repeat engagement, making the Santa experience a true destination within the centre rather than a standalone attraction.
Dunn notes that considerable time went into shopper journey mapping and storyboarding to ensure every touchpoint felt cohesive. “This experience is a pillar of our engagement strategy. We wanted every moment to feel intentional, from the librarian check-in to the storybook children take home. The goal is visitor satisfaction first and foremost, with the natural halo of increased traffic and dwell time following from that.”
A Meaningful Partnership with SickKids
The experience builds on a decade-long partnership between Vaughan Mills and SickKids Foundation. All photo package proceeds are donated to SickKids, and this year’s photo packages range from fifty-five to seventy-five dollars. Every dollar from those sales goes directly to the hospital.
“We’re so grateful to our partners at Vaughan Mills for bringing the magic of the holidays and the spirit of giving to the patients and families at SickKids,” says Julie Garcia Sjogrim, Vice-President of Corporate and Community Partnership at SickKids Foundation. “Through this innovative and immersive experience, Vaughan Mills is showcasing the way it can bring people together in a show of support for priority needs at SickKids. Donor support allows the hospital to respond to the needs of today while making the discoveries of tomorrow.”
In addition to fundraising, the partnership brings the holiday experience into the hospital itself through in-hospital Santa visits and storytelling activations. Vaughan Mills also hosts a special holiday breakfast event for SickKids families, offering a private first-look experience before the attraction opens to the general public.
For Dunn, the alignment is meaningful on both a community and national level. “SickKids is a centre of excellence that serves families from across Canada. Because Vaughan Mills draws visitors from across the GTA and Southern Ontario, it felt natural to partner with an institution that reaches far beyond our local community.”
A Scalable Experience Designed for Growth
Bookings for Santa’s Magical Library opened on November 13. While the centre expects strong demand, Dunn emphasizes that this first year is also a learning phase in which availability will be optimized dynamically to keep the experience comfortable and enjoyable.
“We will be closely monitoring bookings to make real-time adjustments,” she says. “We want to deliver an experience that feels magical, not rushed. The AR elements available throughout the centre also help ensure that every visitor can participate, regardless of whether they have a booking.”
Themes, story content and collectible books will change annually, with the Great Book of Imagination designed as a long-term narrative framework. As more families collect each season’s storybook, the property anticipates developing continuity from one year to the next.
Designed by Experts in Immersive Storytelling
The creation of Santa’s Magical Library involved extensive collaboration across multiple disciplines. JLL marketers, Vaughan Mills leadership, Studio Artefact and creative specialists with backgrounds in video game design worked together to build a cohesive experience.
Dunn describes the level of planning as one of the most comprehensive efforts the centre has undertaken for a seasonal program. “There were hours upon hours of storyboarding and customer journey mapping. We had people who design physical worlds and people who design digital worlds all contributing. The goal was to build something where technology supports the story rather than overpowering it.”
Holiday décor across the centre has also been refreshed to match the theme, creating visual cohesion between the immersive set and the retail environment, reinforcing the feeling that the story extends throughout the entire property.
Vaughan Mills as a Destination for Families and Visitors
Since opening in 2004, Vaughan Mills has grown into one of the largest and most visited super-regional shopping centres in Canada. With more than 220 retailers and over 11 million visitors annually, the property has built a reputation for blending off-price, full-price and entertainment-driven retail under one roof.
Dunn notes that the market surrounding Vaughan Mills continues to expand. “Vaughan is one of the fastest-growing communities in the country. The centre serves a large and diverse trade area, drawing from across the GTA, Southern Ontario and an increasing number of tourists. Experiences like Santa’s Magical Library deepen our ability to serve families who are looking for more than a transactional visit.”
She adds that the broader evolution of Canadian shopping centres reflects a renewed emphasis on physical experiences. “I am digital first and I am excited about AI, but people still crave authenticity. They want real interactions in real places. That is why experiences like Santa’s Library resonate. Technology enhances the magic, but Santa is still a real person sitting with your child, creating a moment they will remember.”
