Video: Orillia Santa Claus Parade
By John Swartz
The annual Chamber of Commerce’s Santa Claus Parade went off without a hitch. Well, unless you count the rain
There has been snow on the ground, there’s been snow in the air, there’s been blizzards and freezing cold temperatures, but rain has not been an issue in the past 30 years.
There was a break in the rainfall just as the parade got onto Mississaga Street, but it returned about half way through. It was mostly a drizzle with brief periods of heavier rainfall.
But as Santa’s ride approached the intersection of West and Mississaga Streets it let up again.
The rain may have kept some people from attending; the crowd size was smaller than last year’s huge crowd. The parade took more than an hour to pass by.
The winners of the various trophies were presented with their awards at the Orillia council meeting December 9. They are:
- Large Commercial category, Georgian Duct Cleaning and Barrie Harley-Davidson
- Small Commercial category, McCauley Equipment Sales and The Patti Wagon
- Youth Groups category, Mariposa Dance Company and 1st Orillia Scout Group
- Service Clubs, Social Clubs, and Local Organizations category, Mariposa House Hospice and Kiwanis Club of Orillia
- Religious Groups category, Cornerstone Baptist Church Orillia and Salvation Army Orillia
- Walking Groups category, Titanium Arts Lab and Special Olympics Orillia
- Best Overall, Cards and Coasters
- Santa’s Choice Award, ToK Transit
(Video by Swartz – SUNonline/Orillia)
