Lights, floats and decorations bring Embrun early holiday cheer

All aboard the gingerbread train
There may have been teachers, parents and students aboard the École élémentaire catholique Saint-Jean’s gingerbread train and parade float in Embrun’s Santa Parade on Saturday evening, but such happiness and singing, waving and smiles were surely coming from Santa helpers and elves.   Carruthers photos

Students from École élémentaire publique de la Rivière Castor’s float were huddling together as the float paraded through Embrun, and parents walked alongside, on Sat., Nov. 25.

Muriel Carruthers
Villager Staff
EMBRUN – The Embrun Christmas Parade on the evening of Sat., Nov. 25, started at 6:30 p.m. at the Municipal Town Hall, led by one of the Embrun firetrucks and firefighters. The numerous floats from various businesses, Embrun schools, Knights of Columbus from the Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal of Russell, the Embrun Minor Hockey Association, to name just a few, followed the firetruck as it turned left onto Notre Dame and proceeded through town until it reached the Embrun Arena, where Santa Claus greeted the local children to hear their holiday wishes. Along the parade route, volunteers waved from the floats, or were busy walking while handing out candy canes and other items to children. There was a good turnout in spite of Mother Nature. Earlier in the day the rainy weather had cleared by the time the parade started, but there was a brief sprinkling toward the end of the event.

Santa himself was all smiles as his float took up the rear in the Embrun parade.

Although there were no official awards, all floats deserved recognition for the volunteers’ hard work in designing, decorating and participating. According to the Club Optomiste Facebook site, the Optimiste teams who worked together (Club Optimiste de Limoges, Club Optimiste d’Embrun and Club Optimiste Russell) won the Most Festive Float at the Russell Parade. Even Mayor Pierre Leroux quotes on his Facebook page that he “had a wonderful time participating in the Embrun Christmas parade again this year. Even got a pic with Santa afterwards.”