CORNWALL, Ontario – Santa’s route is changing – again.
A last-minute push by some downtown business people, who felt they had been bypassed when parade organizers said last week the route would exclude the Pitt and Second street intersection for the first time in years, was successful Friday in having organizers agree to yet another switch.
The 2015 Cornwall Santa Claus Parade will still begin at St. Lawrence High School, but will head west on Second Street to Augustus Street before turning south on Augustus Street and ending there, said sources.
It’s believed parade floats will line up along the west side of Augustus, while waiting school buses will be parked on the east side of the street to transport school children and other parade participants to the Cornwall Civic Complex.
Organizers had originally planned to turn the parade south at Marlborough Street this year and then follow Montreal Road to the complex, but downtown business people were upset that their area of the city was to be bypassed.
Andre Pommier was critical of the initial plan, but was pleased Friday to learn of the reconsideration during a meeting with organizers.
“It was a great meeting,” he said. “I learned a lot about the logistics of having a parade. It’s all about emergency services…and having Second and Water streets closed off would have been too dangerous.
“There was no politics involved.”
Terry Muir, chair of the event, was not available to comment.
This year the parade awards will be handed out in the salons at the complex and the public is invited to attend.
The parade is slated to begin at 5 p.m., Nov. 21 from St. Lawrence High School.
More information on the parade can be found at cornwallsantaclausparade.com.
