Hundreds of families lined St. Joseph Boulevard to give Santa Claus a warm welcome at the 27th annual Santa’s Parade of Lights in Orléans Saturday night. People were asked to bring a new unwrapped gift or cash donation to support CTV and Move 100’s Toy Mountain campaign, which aims to ensure every child in Ottawa has a gift to open on Christmas morning. “We’re here to make a difference and put some smiles on faces,” says Cameron Taylor, chair of parades for the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association. The parade put on by the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association, with nearly 70 floats with community groups, horses, emergency vehicles, bands, dancers, school groups, old age homes and more. Many families in attendance say the parade is their favourite way to get in the Christmas spirit and start up the holiday season. “This is like the kickoff for us to start off everything,” said Ashley Marshall, who attended the parade with family. “Now it’s Christmas light shows and cotton candy and making cookies. This is the start.” Parade attendee Lauren Loyala says the Parade of Lights is a yearly tradition. “We do this every year. It’s such a great parade because you get the community together. We just love it,” Loyola said. For parade organizer Taylor, the event is all about community. “The community comes out to see it but it’s the community that throws it. We’re just a small wheel in a very big machine. We’re just glad to be a part of it,” Taylor said.
