The Paris Independent
5
November 18, 2023
COMMUNITY NEWS Santa Claus Parade to go from south end to north end By Casandra Turnbull The Paris Santa Claus Parade is going to stretch straight through town from Grand River Street South to Grand River Street North. The Paris Firefighters Club officially released route details this week after several meetings with County of Brant staff to nail down the exact details. It will begin on Grand River Street South, at Burwell Street and head north through downtown, up the hill and finish at the high school on St. Patrick Street. All the floats will line up in the south end of town before its 6 pm start time. The larger floats - tractor trailer flatbeds, for example, will line up Burwell Street, which will be closed to traffic. The remaining floats and participants will line up on Grand River Street South between Burwell to Arnold Street, also closed. Phil Dalpe, one of the parade’s four committee members, confirmed there’s already 45 floats registered to take part in this spirited holiday tradition. This year’s lengthy route allows for more participation. This year’s theme, said Dalpe, is Red and Gold. The new route will bring the parade back through the downtown core, where it was held for 20 years under the guidance of local businessman Ed McGuire. The Paris Firefighters Club stepped in to organize the parade when McGuire decided it was time to step down in 2020. After two pandemic years, in 2022 the Firefighters brought the parade back with a new route in the north end. With heavy construction underway currently on Grand River Street North, the route had to relocate this year. Since early fall, the Paris Firefighters Club, with support from Station 1 Firefighters, have worked hard to comply with all County of Brant requests when it came to finalizing this new route. Cont’d on page 6