TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
For many, the Santa Claus Parade is the official kickoff of the holiday season. This year’s celebration, airing on CTV on Dec. 4, will feature dozens of floats and more than 20 marching bands. Take Jamie Bradburn’s quiz to see how much you know about the festivities
1. Eaton’s presented its first Santa Claus Parade on Dec. 2, 1905. In which other Canadian city did Santa lead a procession that day to the local branch of Eaton’s?
a) Montreal b) Ottawa c) Vancouver d) Winnipeg
2. Instead of landing in Toronto in his sleigh, how did Santa start his journey during the first Santa Claus Parade in 1905?
a) Arrived by ferry from the Toronto Islands b) Arrived by train at Union Station c) Chartered a streetcar in North Toronto d) Loaded into a car in High Park
3. Which iconic children’s character has been represented by a parade float since 1917?
a) Frosty the Snowman b) Humpty Dumpty c) Mother Goose d) Old Mother Hubbard
4. After the First World War, how did Santa end the parade procession?
a) Climbed a fire ladder to Eaton’s second-floor Toyland b) Distributed gifts to children at City Hall c) Hosted a giant lunch on Yonge Street d) Turned on the lights of a giant Christmas tree in Trinity Square
5. Children were frequently allowed to watch the parade from the windows of Old City Hall during the 1930s. Why were they prevented from doing so in 1936? a) A bomb threat was called in b) A group of rowdy kids wrecked the council chamber the previous year c) Mayor Sam McBride died that morning d) The entrance was blocked by people protesting the over-commercialization of Christmas
6. In 1948, Eaton’s introduced Punkinhead, who quickly became popular among children who cheered him on the parade route. What type of “sad little” animal was he? a) Bear b) Elephant c) Goose d) Mouse
7. When a non-profit corporation was established to operate the parade in 1982, its co-chairs were McDonald’s Canada president George Cohon and Ron Barbaro, who also chaired which reindeer-friendly enterprise? a) Metropolitan Toronto and Region Conservation Authority b) Metro Toronto Zoo c) Riverdale Farm d) Toronto Department of Parks and Recreation
8. Along with Barbaro, which of the following filmmakers was the first celebrity clown to participate in the parade in the 1980s?
a) James Cameron b) David Cronenberg c) Norman Jewison d) Moses Znaimer
9. What change to the parade did North York Mayor Mel Lastman unsuccessfully request in 1987?
a) Add floats celebrating other seasonal holidays b) End it with the ceremonial lighting of the Christmas tree in Nathan Phillips Square c) Move it to the Don Valley Parkway d) Rotate it among the cities of Metro Toronto
10. With COVID-19 making the parade a virtual event again this year, where is it filmed for broadcast? a) Canada’s Wonderland b) Downsview Park c) Exhibition Place d) Woodbine Racetrack