Santa Claus will be coming down your chimney on Christmas morning, but he won’t be on his regular parade route through downtown Barrie this year due to COVID-19 concerns.
The coronavirus has claimed another high-profile event, as the Barrie Santa Claus Parade has been officially cancelled this year.
The annual tradition typically takes place on the third Saturday of November and follows a route from Lakeshore Drive and Tiffin Street, up Bradford Street and across Dunlop Street to Mulcaster Street.
The popular event is run and organized as a joint effort between the Barrie Chamber of Commerce, the City of Barrie, the Downtown Barrie Business Association (BIA), and the Rotary Club of Barrie.
Barrie Chamber of Commerce executive director Paul Markle says this is the first time the parade has been cancelled since the Second World War. He tells BarrieToday it was a sad decision, but one that had to be made.
“From our standpoint, we’re very disappointed as it is one of our signature events,” Markle said. “But we live in an age where everyone needs to reimagine what they do (due to COVID-19). We will have some very fun things coming up and the parade isn’t gone for good, just for now.”
More details on what those plans will be have yet to be finalized and released.
The annual parade, meanwhile, sees local businesses and organizations decorate floats set to the theme of each year's event.
The parade is just another in a long list of 2020 events cancelled due to COVID-19. Throughout the year, concerts and festivals have been put on hold as all levels of government follow the advice of public health officials with regards to avoiding large gatherings of people.
The parade also usually kicks off the holiday season in downtown Barrie, with Santa Claus attending a tree-lighting countdown at Meridian Place at the parade's conclusion.
Barrie Santa Claus Parade chair Sarah Taylor also told BarrieToday that while this was an extremely difficult decision, she and her team tried to think of ways to continue the event safely.
“We had even considered a reverse parade, where people drive by the lineup of floats,” Taylor said. “But it was just too risky, especially with positive COVID test numbers going up the way they are.
"I will not risk anyone getting sick for anything," she added.
Santa’s visit to the local shopping centres is also in jeopardy. BarrieToday has confirmed that the jolly old elf will not be at at least one of Barrie’s three larger malls.
At Bayfield Mall, property manager Kerry Michel said they will be letting kids know that Santa Claus has informed them he won’t be able to make it, “as he is hard at work helping his essential workers during the COVID-19 crisis.”
“We will be having the Christmas train ride around the mall, modified with empty cars in between open cars and sanitized when customers depart,” Michel added. “Decorations will be up all over the mall, as per usual.”
Georgian Mall general manager Jodi Chamberland said “given the fluidity of the current situation, we are continuing to monitor and are committed to celebrating the season in a safe and welcoming way.”
Representatives from the Kozlov Centre did not respond to a request for comment in time for publication.
