GLACE BAY, N.S. — Santa will be on parade in this community this month, thanks to a surge of volunteers ready to get the annual event back on the road.
The Glace Bay Volunteer Fire Department announced last week that there wouldn’t be a Christmas light-up parade in the community this year after Cape Breton Regional Municipality council voted to allow only daytime parades which are under four kilometres in length in the municipality.
Another issue was the need to place volunteers throughout the parade route to watch turns and areas where the crowds could go onto the parade route. Organizers in Glace Bay said a nighttime parade made it easier to get those volunteers whereas daytime parades could see many not able to volunteer due to work obligations.
But according to the fire department’s Facebook page, the parade is back on thanks to a surge of volunteers from several community groups.
“The parade will take place Saturday November 30, 2019 at 2 p.m.,” the page says. “A special thanks to Glace Bay Minor Hockey Association, the Table Head Development Society and other groups and individuals who came forward with enough volunteers to allow us to not only participate in the parade but ensure fire protection was never compromised. We would also like to pass on a special thanks to Reserve Mines and North Sydney Fire Departments for answering the call for assistance. Thank you brothers and sisters … Once again thank you everyone that offered all the help.”
Glace Bay fire Chief John Chant couldn’t be more relieved with the change of events. Having the extra volunteers will make it that much easier to hold the parade and not disrupt normal fire department activity. Last Thursday, the municipality apologized to Chant for not including the department, which organizes the parade, in the discussions that saw the rules and timing of the annual event changed this year.
“We’re glad that we can start putting that to rest,” said Chant. “We just want to move forward now and be out in the community.”
Meanwhile, Bayitforward has added a stationary float parade during its popular Christmas Light Up event to be held on Monday.
Expect to see a few floats parked in one spot so those attending the Christmas Light Up can view them safely.
“We did put the offer out there to have the stationary floats so we do have the fire department coming down with theirs and we have one other business coming down with theirs — we are going to have some floats set up that evening,” said Bayitforward chair Jess MacNeil. “We just have the two floats right now but we are open to more coming in. If they (other businesses and community groups) are interested they can contact me and I can take it from there.”
At this point, it won’t be a big parade but MacNeil expects a good turnout anyway. In the past two years of the Christmas Light Up, she estimates thousands have attended the festivities.
“People love it — we usually get a couple thousand out,” said McNeil. “We expect it to be bigger this year with no nighttime parade. We’ve had lots of support from community businesses jumping on board wanting to help out. We’ve had a lot of community organizations wanting to help out so it’s definitely been good.”
In addition to the stationary parade, the fire department will bring Santa to the Christmas Light Up ceremony.
“We have a lot planned,” said MacNeil. “We’re going to close down Commercial Street. The Glace Bay High School Band will be performing from 5:30 to 6 p.m., then we have Glace Bay Glee from 6 to 6:20. At 6:20 we’re going to have a community Christmas carol and we’re going to hand out Christmas carols to people in the audience — it’s going to be like a singalong. And at 6:30 we have our official tree light up and then we have Matt Minglewood taking the stage from 6:45 to 8 p.m.”
In addition to the free entertainment, there will also be free hot chocolate, free eggnog, free cookies, free popcorn and free cotton candy. There will also be cookie decorating, face painting, ornament-making and Disney characters.
“This is going to be our third year but it’s definitely our biggest one yet.”
RELATED:
End of the line for annual Glace Bay parade
Hard feelings over changes to Cape Breton Regional Municipality parade rules
