'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
BREAKING Trudeau promises $1B in loans for child-care providers to expand care centres
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Spring allergy season has begun. Where is it worse in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
N.B. man wins $64 million from Lotto 6/49
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.