Santa stops by

Santa Claus brought a blast of North Pole temperatures to Thunder Bay, but it didn’t seem to bother many of the thousands of people who lined Memorial Avenue to watch his annual parade.

Held exactly five weeks before the big day, the annual event is a great kick-off to the holiday season, said several on hand for the festivities.

“I think it gets you into the Christmas spirit a little bit more, a little bit quicker. You can hear some music, do some dancing,”said Sean Christie, who braved the -12 C weather on Saturday morning to watch dozens of creatively decorated floats roll by.

What did he like best? That’s easy, he said.

“The ones that have some kicking beats so we can keep warm,” he said, laughing the chill away.

Angela Wittig had similar reasons for coming out.

“It gets the kids into the spirit of the season and it’s great to see all the floats,” she said.

But while keeping warm was a priority, there was no way they were leaving before the final float went by.

Her kids, bundled in every form of winter wear imaginable, were there for one reason, and one reason only – and it wasn’t the candy being handed out by the handful by mascots and marchers alike.

“I think Santa was the best one. The kids were really looking forward to Santa,” Wittig said.

The youngsters weren’t the only ones with Saint Nick on their minds.

Twenty-something Patrick McMullen ventured out to see the big guy in the red suit too.

“I love Santa, a lot; more than my girlfriend. I can’t feel my fingers, but it’s OK,” he said.

Evelyn Morrison was there to support her Scouts Canada float, but would have been there regardless. It’s a Thunder Bay tradition, she said.

“It’s community. Everybody gets out and has a good time,” Morrison said.

The floats came in all shapes and sizes, from corporate vans decorated with reindeer and Christmas ornaments to tree-lined flatbeds with elaborate nativity scenes – and everything in between.

Donovan Dean said the floats are what convinced him to give up his Saturday morning at home.

It was a Christmas classic that caught his eye.

“I like the one with the Grinch,” he said. “It’s really good.”

The youngster had an adult way of keeping warm, however.

“I keep going inside and getting coffee,” the 14-year-old said.

Younger sister Colleen Dean said she just likes going to the Christmas parade.

“I like seeing all the cute animals,” she said, having witnessed a lot of reindeer inspired pooches and a few horses already march past by that time.

Moments later Santa made his pass, and within seconds the parade was in the books for yet another year, Memorial Avenue buzzing with post-parade traffic and holiday shoppers looking for the ever-elusive bargain.