BY DUCK PATERSON
Santa Claus was part of the Light Up parade earlier this holiday season, but at this past weekend’s parade, he was the star attraction.
In spite of the impending snow, members of Ladysmith Fire Rescue, along with their volunteers and two very special guests Santa and Mrs. Claus, ventured out last Sunday, Dec. 18, on another one of Ladysmith’s iconic community events. Showing the strength and spirit of Ladysmith’s volunteers, along with community support, the annual Firemen’s Santa Parade wound its way through Ladysmith to the joy of hundreds of kids and families.
With the support of Coastal Trucking, the volunteers spent more than 10 hours assembling the two floats and then adding the lights and festive themes. The group, over the years, has managed to compile quite an array of Santa paraphernalia but each year they find they have to get some new supplies. This year the firefighters invested about $2,000 in the parade and goodies that are handed out to the children who come to see Santa.
Dan Gillard, who heads the committee, said the parade made all six of its scheduled stops, leaving the hall at about 2 p.m. and getting back, “a little colder and wetter,” by 9:30 p.m.
The stops included Kinsmen Park, Ladysmith Intermediate School, Fourth Avenue at Methuen Street, Diamond Hall, downtown Ladysmith and the old Davis Road school. All told, firefighters report that Santa and Mrs. Claus greeted more than 350 children, and waved to hundreds of people along the route.
After the floats were packed up and returned to storage, the firefighters “had our chance to sit and chat with Santa and Mrs. Claus,” Gillard said.