‘I had hearts in my eyes’
Paradegoers recall what it’s like to watch Santa come to Toronto
Through the years, the Toronto Santa Claus Parade has delighted generations of kids and adults, leaving them with lasting memories. We asked parade watchers and participants from years past to share their memorable moments:
John Tummon, Vineland, Ont. As a teenager in the early ‘60s, I got a chance to be in the Santa Claus Parade as a polar bear. There was real excitement in the air when we showed up at the warehouse where the floats are stored. When you’re young, you have no idea of the organization it takes, but there were hundreds, if not thousands, of people involved.
I sat on a float with a bunch of other polar bears and waved at everybody going by. I waved frantically when I passed my mother and my dad and my grandmother, but I had this whole costume on and they had no idea who it was.
Eric Conroy, Port McNicoll, Ont. In 1982 Eaton’s — which had always run the Santa Claus Parade — pulled out. They couldn’t afford to do it anymore. I had great memories of the parade and I felt it was very important to keep it going. So I became a volunteer fundraiser for the “Save Our Parade” campaign led by some of Toronto’s big shooters, including Paul Godfrey, George Cohon and Ron Barbaro.
We all sat down in a room one day and made phone calls to everyone we knew, and the parade went on. We had jobs in the parade itself, too. It’s truly an amazing way to see Toronto, to be in the parade looking out. You see a million happy laughing faces and they’re every colour and every shape.
I fundraised for the parade for almost 40 years and I only stopped because we moved. I think it’s remarkable that several thousand volunteers, from the band masters to the marshals to the police and firefighters that line the route, come together for a one-day event that takes all year to put together. It’s all run by volunteers. It really is Toronto’s parade put on by the people of Toronto for the people of Toronto.
Sabrina Cuzzocrea, Toronto. The first thing I remember from Santa Claus parades in the early ‘90s is the back of people’s knees and glimpses of the floats. But then my parents hit on an ingenious solution. They took me to a friend’s house at Bloor and Walter and they set up a ladder. We kids climbed up on it so we could see over everyone’s heads.
Pam Mandich, currently a nomad. Formerly of Abu Dhabi by way of Canada. In 1997, when my daughter, McKenzie, was about 2, we moved from Montreal to Toronto. I took her to the Santa Clause Parade for the first time. Walking back home, we stumbled on the streets where the floats were parked after the parade. It was magical to see them so close up. After that, we stopped there every year to see the floats and take pictures.
Chelsea Strachan, Toronto. We went to the parade pretty much every year with some family friends. Their dad would get up early and stake out a place with lawn chairs. It’s one of my pinnacle memories of being a kid. There’s just that energy that Christmas is coming and everyone’s happy. I felt like I had hearts in my eyes the entire day.
Chris Dalglish, Toronto. I grew up in London, Ont., so I had never been to the parade until I went with my boys. It was probably 2001 because Patrick was 3 and Steven was 6. It was very crowded. Suddenly Patrick — who had a habit of dashing off — wasn’t there.
We were all looking around frantically for him. Then I caught a glimpse of this little person three-quarters of the way out into the road. Of course it was Patrick. He was absolutely mesmerized by the parade and the floats and the colours and the people. The best thing was the way my boys’ eyes lit up when Santa came by.
Eric Johnson, Toronto. My most vivid memory of the Santa Claus Parade is the time I took my daughter Tess and one of the neighbours’ kids, Henry, to Christie Pits to watch the parade. It was in the early 2000s and they were about 7. Our position near a park with hills offered competition for their attention, so they started rolling down the hills. They both rolled through what must have been an enormous dog turd. I did my best to clean them up, but the smell lingered. I had to take two very stinky kids back with me on the subway.