'This will really benefit the Northwest'; Thousands to attend Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade

Thousands of Londoners lined Gainsborough road Saturday morning to see the man in red.
The second of the three big holiday parades in the city benefited from perfect weather as local community and service clubs made it one of the largest in the event’s history.
"We've got over 60 floats this year," says Matthew Koopman, of Gateway Church and part of the organizing committee.
Santa waves to the kids during the 2022 Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 26, 2022 (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)"We're so excited for this. We have lots of music, lots of fun, and lots of dancing."
Dignitaries also took part with local politicians including Josh Morgan who was attending this parade as a councillor for many years before becoming mayor.
"This is my home parade," says Morgan.
"This is just down the street from my house and that the Hyde Park parade is a great community parade. It has many organizations, service clubs and just regular members of the community, many that are in need. There's the (Northwest London) Resource Center (NLRC) and others who could always use support."
Volunteers pushed shopping carts along the route collecting non-perishable goods for the NLRC.
Volunteers unload food collected during the 2022 Hyde Park Santa Claus Parade on Nov. 26, 2022 (Source: Brent Lale/CTV London)"It’s great to work with the Lions Club as well as the Hyde Park BIA to support the community," says Amani Radhaa, executive director at NLRC.
"Non- perishable items collected actually sustains our emergency food cupboard after six months. It's very much needed to support the Northwest Community and we're seeing the need continues to rise for families accessing their emergency food cupboard."
The event raises money for several organizations, and collects thousands of pounds of food.
"Last year we made over $20,000, and we also collected 6,000 pound of food last year, and we are hoping to surpass 10,000 pounds this year," says Koopman.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
23 vehicles towed, dozens of tickets issued as rally marks one-year anniversary of 'Freedom Convoy' in Ottawa
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as people gathered marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.

'COVID is not done,' Canadian infectious disease expert says ahead of WHO announcement
While RSV and flu cases steadily decline in Canada, the World Health Organization is set to announce on Monday whether it still considers COVID-19 a global health emergency, but one infectious disease specialist says we still need to keep an eye on the coronavirus.
YouTube star MrBeast helps 1,000 blind people see again by sponsoring cataract surgeries
YouTube superstar MrBeast is making the world clearer -- for at least 1,000 people. The content creator's latest stunt is paying for cataract removal for 1,000 people who were blind or near-blind but could not afford the surgery.
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion dies at 101
Former Mississauga, Ont. mayor Hazel McCallion, nicknamed 'Hurricane Hazel,' has died. She was 101 years old. Premier Doug Ford said McCallion died peacefully at her home early Sunday morning.
'24,' 'Runaways' actor Annie Wersching has died at 45
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
Father pushing Manitoba to follow Ontario, Saskatchewan in screening for CMV
Roughly one in 200 babies born in Canada today will have congenital cytomegalovirus, a virus that can lead to hearing loss, intellectual disability or vision loss. But with only two provinces screening newborns for CMV, one father is asking other health-care systems to do more.
Russian teen faces years in jail over social media post criticizing war in Ukraine
A Russian teenager must wear an ankle bracelet while she is under house arrest after she was charged over social media posts that authorities say discredit the Russian army and justify terrorism.
Emotional ceremony marks 6th anniversary of Quebec mosque shooting
An emotional ceremony took place today marking the sixth anniversary of the Quebec City mosque shooting, held for the first time in the same room where many of the victims were killed. Six men died that night: Mamadou Tanou Barry, Ibrahima Barry, Khaled Belkacemi, Abdelkrim Hassane, Azzeddine Soufiane and Aboubaker Thabti were gunned down not long after evening prayers at the suburban Quebec City mosque.
As Canada's RCMP marks 150th anniversary, a look at what it says needs to change
After years of reports and allegations detailing a 'toxic' workplace, Canada's RCMP says it is trying to evolve, focusing on diversity in its organization and repairing relationships with communities as it marks its 150th anniversary.