Santa Claus is coming to town this month for annual parades

Santa Claus parade organizers in Ottawa are getting ready to usher in the Christmas season.

The Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association says the annual Help Santa Toy Parade and the Orléans Parade of Lights are back this year in their traditional forms.

The Help Santa Toy Parade will be held on Saturday, Nov. 16, starting at 11 a.m.

"It will take its traditional route starting in front of City Hall on Laurier Avenue, proceeding west on Laurier Avenue, turning south on Bank Street and ending at Lansdowne Park," the Association says.

People looking to put an entry into the parade, volunteer, or make a monetary donation can visit https://www.toyparade.ca.

Cash donations will be accepted on the parade route, along with a cashless tap option.

This is 55th year for the Help Santa Toy Parade.

Donations of new, unwrapped toys will be accepted at all fire stations from now until Christmas. Rural fire stations are not staffed and will only be able to take donations on training nights: Mondays from 7 to 9 p.m. for stations 61, 62, 71, 72, 73, 81, 82, and 83; and Wednesdays from 7 to 9 p.m. for stations 63, 64, 66, 84, 91, 92, 93, and 94.

Santa's Parade of Lights in Orléans, now in its 26th year, will be held on Saturday, Nov. 30, starting at 6 p.m. It will take its traditional route down St. Joseph Boulevard from Youville Drive to Prestone Drive.

These are not the only parades on Santa's busy schedule in November.

The Barrhaven Santa Claus Parade is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 17, at 5:30 p.m. The parade will go straight down Strandherd Drive this year, starting at Beatrice Drive and ending at the OC Transpo Park & Ride behind the Canadian Tire on Greenbank Road.

The Hazeldean Mall Kanata Santa Claus Parade will take place Saturday, Nov. 23, departing at 10 a.m., benefitting the Kanata Food Cupboard.

The Riverside South Community Association's Toy Mountain Parade will be held Saturday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m. It will make its way from St. Jerome Elementary (4330 Spratt Rd.) and head north to École Bernard-Grandmaître (4170 Spratt Rd.)