A happy troupe
Kids of different ages sat on hay bales and waved to the crowds on the 1st Williamsburg Boy Scouts float.     Carruthers photo

Muriel Carruthers
Record Staff
MORRISBURG – The annual Christmas Parade on Sat., Dec. 2, started at 11 a.m. at the Canadian Tire, Upper Canada Playhouse and Fire Hall parking lots. Crowds of people gathered, cheered and waved from both sides of the streets as the parade wound through the town. The weather remained cool but tolerable and dry.

Firefighters from the South Dundas Fire & Emergency Services waved from the bakery kitchen float to remind people to practise holiday fire safety. Carruthers photo

There were numerous floats from community organizations and businesses, militia, as well as horses, ponies, mules and musical entertainment from a steel band, marching bands, the Seaway District High School Band, the Timmy’s Place float with Timothy Christian School, the Morrisburg & District Leos, and more. The Chief Aide of the Karnak Shriners of the SDG Shrine Club drove a Thomas the Train float with cars attached carrying large stuffed animals, while following behind were other Shriner members. Canada Post displayed a poster encouraging children to mail their letters to Santa, as life-size mailboxes accompanied the volunteers collecting letters. Several students from Morrisburg Public School donned festive hats or Rudolph red-bulb noses as they marched along, collecting donations for the food bank, with three carrying a MPS banner. The Royal West Academy Honour Band from Montreal West, Que., even joined in on the Morrisburg festivities, as did the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, 378 Defiant.

SDSG MPP Jim McDonell and SDSG MP Guy Lauzon accompanied Frosty the Snowman in a pickup truck at the Morrisburg parade. Carruthers photo

The Operating Engineers Training Institute of Ontario of Morrisburg brought back a lot of memories for the older generations in the crowd, with their “Lost in the 70s” float, which included a gigantic Radio Flyer Wagon carrying Batman and Spiderman and several kids, pulled by the OETIO pickup truck with a tricycle and a huge Rubik’s cube. Walking along beside the truck and wagon were other superheroes and characters such as a Star Wars stormtrooper and even Gumby.

Of course as tradition has it, Santa and Mrs. Claus smiled and waved from the last float, no doubt anticipating the wishes from all the kids at the end of the parade at the fire hall, where hot chocolate and hot dogs were waiting.