Ottawa’s Help Santa Toy Parade Unveils New Route and Features

The annual Help Santa Toy Parade in Ottawa is set to return with a fresh route and an emphasis on community spirit. Scheduled for Saturday, November 25, 2023, this cherished event will kick off at Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Somerset Street West, proceeding southbound to conclude at Lansdowne Park, home to TD Place.

The parade, now in its 56th year, is organized by the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association (OPFA). Cameron Taylor, the chair of the parade, expressed excitement about the new features. “We’ve got dancers. We’ve got the Governor General’s Foot Guards,” he noted. “I’ll be piping down the way, along with a couple of new businesses that are putting on floats. I think Santa is looking forward to that.”

Anticipation is high, with the city expecting around **50,000 attendees** to enjoy the festivities. In addition to the new route, Santa will travel in a newly designed sleigh, replacing one that had served for nearly **40 years**. Taylor commented on the sleigh’s transformation, stating, “It needed a little bit of a makeover. So, we’ve been working on that, and this is the first rendition. We’re going to be continuing to improve it.”

The spirit of giving remains at the forefront of the event, with firefighters collecting cash donations and unwrapped toys along the parade route to support the **Toy Mountain Campaign**, organized by CTV and Move 100. Taylor encouraged attendees to contribute, saying, “Anybody who comes can bring cash donations to put in the traditional firefighter boot. We have the ‘Tap-to-Donate’ on many of our boots for **$10** per tap.” Participants can also bring new, unwrapped gifts to any fire station in Ottawa.

As the parade draws to a close, Santa will arrive at the Christmas Market at Lansdowne, where visitors can enjoy hot chocolate and explore market offerings. Taylor added, “At the end, of course there will be hot chocolate and a little market, and I think Santa is going to like all of it.”

Following this event, Ottawa firefighters will host the **Parade of Lights** in Orléans on the night of **November 29, 2023**, bringing additional festive cheer to the community. This series of events underscores the importance of community engagement and the spirit of generosity during the holiday season.