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PARADE INFO Free Concert at Manitoba Hydro Place Post Parade Activities at The Forks
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PARADE INFO THE WINNIPEG SANTA CLAUS PARADE HISTORY Eaton's Department Store held its first Santa Claus Parade in 1905 in Toronto. The Parade was so successful that in 1909 Eaton's started parades in Montreal and Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade has been held sucessfully every year since and celebrates its 102nd anniversary this year. Due to rising costs Eaton's organized its last Parade in 1965. Captain George Smith of the East Kildonan Fire Department, on behalf of the Winnipeg Firefighters Club, bought the Parade from Eaton's for $1.50. Thus started the community based format for the Parade that has continued to this day. From 1966 to 1975 the Winnipeg Firefighters worked very closely with volunteers from schools around Winnipeg to successfully carry on the Parade tradition. In 1975 the Winnipeg Jaycees, now JCI Winnipeg, were asked to continue the community tradition and the organization took over the stewardship of the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade exclusively until 2004. In 1987 the JCI Winnipeg and the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade began its relationship with the Christmas Cheer Board collecting donations and non-perishable food items along the parade route. In November 1998, the City of Winnipeg hosted the Grey Cup. Manitoba Hydro worked with event organizers to bring a Grey Cup parade to downtown Winnipeg. Because of its success, Manitoba Hydro continued to sponsor an annual night-time parade in downtown Winnipeg. This event continued from 1999 to 2005 and was called the Power Smart Festival of Lights Parade. When the Grey Cup returned in 2006, JCI Winnipeg, the City of Winnipeg and Manitoba Hydro joined forces, rolling their individual events into one large and very successful Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. The next year, in 2007, JCI Winnipeg and Manitoba Hydro agreed to a joint-title sponsorship to hold the Power Smart / JCI Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. The Santa Claus Parade then became a night-time, lit parade. This year marks another milestone as a community based board leads the Winnipeg Parade Committee in guiding and producing the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade and initiating a year-round presence in the community.
The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade is participating in a number of events before Parade Day. Stop by to say hello, enter a float or sign-up to volunteer!
The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade starts at 5:00 p.m Saturday, November 12, 2011. Parade Route - Click here to download PDF Lots of free parking is available in and around the Parade route but get there early - it fills up quickly! Some parking suggestions are located on the parking map. Click on the PDF below for more details. Street Closures - Click here to download PDF Parking Map - Click here to download PDF Free Concert - Camerata Nova Holiday Concert at Manitoba Hydro Place Gallery The mood will be light and the music beautiful! And all are invited to lend their voice to celebrate! Free Concert – Camerata Nova To purchase Camerata Nova subscriptions ($23 - $48), casual tickets ($5 - $30), CD/DVDs ($10), or to donate: call (204) 918-4547 or visit www.cameratanova.com
Post Parade Activities at The Forks
Animals First Aid Letters to Santa Lost and Found Special Needs Transit Washrooms Charities The Christmas Cheer Board will be accepting non perishable food items and new unwrapped gifts. Look for volunteers in the Parade as they will be picking up items along the Parade route. Green Team Food Vendor Below are the 3 winners of our Colouring Contest. Each winner will receive a VIP prize package including priority Parade seating for their family, a Holiday Season Package for a family of 6 including: Passes to Canad Inns Winter Wonderland, and much, much more! Winner - Contest A - 8 - 12 age category
Winner - Contest B - 5 - 7 age category
Winner - Contest C - Honourable Mention category
Check back often to see what other events will be happening on Parade Day in Downtown Winnipeg.
The fifteen blocks of the Santa Parade route will each be hosted by a company or organization creating a Block Party atmosphere for the Parade spectators. Each block will feature different types of entertainment including mascots, musicians and street hockey. Teams of volunteers or Block Brigades recruited from the hosts will help to ensure that everyone has a safe, friendly, fun, entertaining and memorable experience at the 2011 Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. Your 2011 Host a Block For Santa Hosts:
The honorary Grand Marshal position acknowledges an individual who has made a continuing and outstanding contribution to the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. This year we are thrilled to recognize George Smith as the honorary Grand Marshal. GRAND MARSHAL, GEORGE C. SMITH 
The Winnipeg Parade Committee is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. George C. Smith to the honorary position of Grand Marshall for the 2011 Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade, proudly sponsored by Manitoba Hydro. Mr. Smith is no stranger to team work. He was a member of the Winnipeg Fire Fighters for 40 years and currently holds the rank of Battalion Chief (retired). His experience and commitment to the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade and to continued collaboration with his fire-fighting compatriots makes him an ideal Grand Marshal. In 1962 Mr. Smith helped form the Greater Winnipeg Fire Prevention and Education Committee representing all the City of Winnipeg and municipal fire departments. The idea spread like wildfire and he didn't seek to contain it. Four years later in 1966, when the Eaton's Board of Directors decided to withdraw from their sponsorship and production of the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade, Smith publicly emptied his pockets and contributed the $1.50 in change he found to purchase the Parade for the Winnipeg Fire Prevention Committee and to save the Parade for the City of Winnipeg! He has continued working with his colleagues at the Winnipeg Fire Department and they have carried on helping make the Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade a successful city-wide event ever since. In 1982 Mr. Smith chaired the 100 Centennial of the Winnipeg Fire Department and in 2007 was a committee member of the 125th celebrations. After retiring from duty as a firefighter in 1995, he continues to be very active with the Fire Department and community. In 1995 he chaired the monthly Retired Firefighters' Breakfasts; in 1997 he helped organize firefighters to deliver food to dike workers in the Flood of The Century; in 1998 he was President of the Winnipeg Firefighters' Support Group and in 1999 he formed a voluntary unit of retired firefighters called "Fire 711". Fire 711 is a staffed emergency response van supplied by the Salvation Army that feeds police and firefighters while they do their work of protecting the city. In 2003, with the Salvation Army chaplain, he chaired the Toy Mountain Campaign, collecting new toys and distributing them, wrapped, to more than 8,000 children throughout the city. The campaign presently distributes more than 15,000 toys! Mr. Smith has been recognized for his many community efforts including the Salvation Army's "Volunteer of the Year Award" in 2002 and the Province of Manitoba's "Premier's Volunteer Service Award" in 2008. The Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade is very proud to have Mr. George C. Smith, also representing the Winnipeg Fire Department, as the 2011 Honorary Grand Marshal. Ace Burpee is the host of The Ace Burpee Show with Chrissy Troy on HOT 103. Ace grew up just north of Winnipeg in Cooks Creek, Manitoba. He likes fishing, hockey, burgers, skateboarding, dogs and winter. Ace was super-pumped when asked to come back as Santa's Head Elf for this year's parade. "I'm super pumped!", he said. See? He said that. Ace will again to make this the third ever live-Twittered Winnipeg Santa Claus Parade. Follow and see. twitter.com/aceburpeeshow
Check back soon.
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