BIA to co-ordinate Santa Claus parade

Striving to keep alive the long-standing tradition established by the now-defunct Rotary Club, the Business Improvement Area has taken up the sleigh reins with the Santa Claus parade.
“We’re quite excited about it,” BIA co-ordinator Laurie Beadle said Thursday morning.
“We’re still sorting out some of the details, there’s some things the Rotary Cub has to sign over to us. There’s a lot of equipment involved,” she added.
“But it’s already organized. The Rotary Club has done it for so many years, all we have to do is provide the manpower.”
“I sure hope they can keep the tradition going,” said Bill Badiuk, a former Rotarian who spearheaded the parade for many years. “We have to let them try it to keep it alive.”
The parade is slated for 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 23. The route once again will run down Scott Street from the Shevlin wood yard to Mowat Avenue.
While some details still are being worked out, the parade likely will once again feature volunteers collecting for the Salvation Army food bank, candy for the kids, and the usual festival of floats parade-goers have come to expect.
“We’ve also taken over putting lights on the tree at the post office. That’s kind of been the responsibility of whomever was running the parade in the past,” noted Beadle.
“We’re just trying to create a Christmas atmosphere in the downtown area. It’s all for the kids,” she added.
Meanwhile, the BIA still isn’t sure whether it will hold another “Winter Wonderland” street event like it did last November.
“We have other things on our plate right now, like are we going to do ‘Lunch with Santa.’ But I guess we’ll have to decide soon,” said Beadle.
Anyone with questions about the parade, or willing to volunteer in any way, can contact Beadle at 274-7502.