It was a chilly Friday night, but that didn’t stop the fun at the annual Manitouwadge Christmas parade.
Local businesses, services and schools joined in on the fun. Eighteen festive floats and brightly decorated vehicles wound their way around town, with colourful lights flashing and seasonal music wafting from the speakers. Costumed participants danced, waved, and threw candies to the kids lining the streets.
The parade concluded at the Manitouwadge Rec Centre, where hot chocolate and cookies were served, and the children got the opportunity to meet the big man himself — Santa.
Inside the warm hall, folks were invited by the library staff and the Long-Term Care Sante Manitouwadge Health Senior Program, to personalize a Christmas card with colourful pens and pencils. These cards will be delivered to the long-term care patients in town. If you missed out on this activity after the parade, you’ll get another chance to create a card, as the program will be running at the library from Monday through Friday.
Prizes for the three best floats were awarded this year. The first prize of $100 — and bragging rights — went to the Candyland float, created by Melvia, Helen, and Fatima from the Sante Manitouwadge Health dietary department. They started gathering the supplies in the summer, then built the whimsical float in what they affectionately call the ‘Melon Shop.’
“Everything is homemade. The lollipops were made from pool noodles, the legs of the Nutcrackers were PVC pipe, painted black. The candy canes were made from flooring, left over from a project at the hospital. The giant popcorn is spray foam insulation.”
They were accompanied during the parade by a dozen friends and co-workers adorned in candy cane costumes and props.
Second prize went to Manroc Developments and third place went to Napa Automotive.
