Mayor Patrick Brown considers cancellation of Brampton Santa Claus Parade, outdoor activities unacceptable

Brampton | Ontario | Community | Festivals & Events | Latest News | Politics |

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Published October 27, 2021 at 10:01 am

Despite high vaccination rates for Brampton and Peel Region, the iconic Brampton Santa Claus Parade has been cancelled again this year.

During his weekly press conference on Wednesday (October 27), Mayor Patrick Brown addressed the disappointment many residents are feeling about the parade being cancelled.

“Our residents have stepped up and gotten vaccinated in numbers that exceeded the original forecast, but the fact that we said getting vaccinated will help us get back to normal and we don’t have some of these civic events happening, ones that the city organizes, for me, is not good enough,” he said.

“If 20,000 people can gather indoors for a Maple Leafs or Raptors game, there’s no reason we can’t have these family-oriented civic events,” he said. “I want to see our community be able to gather again considering the fact that we have respected the health protocols and gotten vaccinated and made incredible progress in the fight against COVID-19.”

A significant factor in the decision to cancel the parade this year was current capacity limits for gatherings—still, only 100 people are permitted at outdoor events.

Additionally, due to the fact a large number of spectators would be children under the age of 11, and therefore not eligible to be vaccinated, combined with the fact checking vaccination status would not be feasible due to the potential number of spectators, there was concern it could contribute to COVID-19 outbreaks.

Further, when organizers put out a call for floats, the response was low, and there weren’t enough entries to fill out the parade.

The Brampton Santa Claus Parade has become the largest single-day event in Peel Region, and the biggest nighttime parade in Canada, and organizers felt, due to these circumstances, a live parade wasn’t feasible.

However, while there won’t be an in-person event again this year, there will still be a virtual performance on November 27 starting at 5 p.m. that residents can watch live from the comfort of their homes.

With vaccination rates already near target levels and continuing to increase, organizers are anticipating a return for the real thing next year.

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