There was much disappointment after the cancellation of the Greater Moncton Santa Claus parade.
It was supposed to make its way through downtown Moncton on Saturday night.
Heavy rain and high winds forced the decision for safety reasons and many floats decided to pull out due to the weather forecast.
One of the questions that remains for many, is why an alternative rain date couldn’t be set.
Riverview Town Councillor Heath Johnson offered some reasons during this week’s Committee of the Whole meeting.
“The parade is managed by a committee of 30 volunteers who spend half a year preparing for the parade. The RCMP and multiple private security companies are involved in providing security for the event. Switching to an alternate date might not be possible if services aren’t available. Over 100 volunteers are needed to help run the parade. Those people might not necessarily be available on another date, especially on short notice,” Johnson says.
He also stated that floats could be registered for other Santa Claus parades planned on other weekends.
“Many parade participants rent or borrow a vehicle or a trailer to put the float on. And so those are also frequently spoken for alternative dates,” Johnson added.
Johnson was also asked why it couldn’t be moved indoors to a venue like the Moncton Coliseum, but he says the Turner’s Christmas at the Coliseum event was ongoing and that venue wasn’t available.
It’s the first time in the parade’s history that it has been cancelled for high winds and heavy rain.
There were reported wind gusts up to 78 kilometres an hour in Moncton, and around 41 millimetres of rain fell in Moncton on Saturday.
