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Thousands line the streets to welcome Santa Claus to North Bay

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NORTH BAY -

As Jane Pearl-Anderson waves to the Santa Claus and others on their floats, she asys her mind is made up on what she wants as her Christmas gift from the jolly elf this year.

“He’s going to bring me a snow globe with my house inside,” she smiled. “It’s my first time at the parade.”

Her friend Landon Robson was so excited to hear the parade was coming back for another year.

“We didn’t get to see it last year,” he said.

As Santa Claus is making his list and is preparing for his journey across the world delivering toys to children, he had time to make a stop in North Bay on Sunday for the city’s parade.

Thousands of young children and their families lined the streets to see the 25 floats and marching bands parade through the city.

“This is my first time seeing the Santa Claus parade because we just moved here,” said Khaleesi Legros who just moved to North Bay from California with her mother Vanessa.

 “I look forward to having a white Christmas for the first time,” said Venessa.

Last year, the city in collaboration with the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, decided to cancel the Santa Claus parade as the city was struggling to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, the city organized a drive by parade where kids could wave to Santa safely from their cars.

The health unit gave the green light for the parade to return this year.

“We have to get back to life as we always remember it,” said Mayor Al McDonald. “This is a very safe way to do it. We’re all outside and you can just tell people are thrilled.”

For the last 10 years, the team at Battery Battery have participated in the parade with their locomotive and horseless carriages. When they found out it was back on, they were eager to get back in and spread some holiday joy.

“The choo choo was built as a parade vehicle and I’m into antiques and little things that go,” explained Shawn Kettner. “So whenever there’s a parade we trot them out and have some fun.”

The parade’s theme is ‘Reboot Christmas’ as families hope for a more normal holiday season.

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