Ottawa Valley Santa Claus parades return after three years

Santa Claus made his long awaited return to the Ottawa Valley, featuring in no less than three Christmas parades Saturday for the first time in three years.

The Cobden Santa Claus parade went Saturday afternoon, where Melanie Ly and her family, who moved to Cobden during the pandemic, got their first festive valley experience.

"We've been counting down the days for the parade so we are very excited," Ly said to CTV News.

"We've been able to do the farmer's market, which has been great, but other than that we haven't done very much. This will be our first big event out."

Renfrew County has been deprived of many large community events due to the pandemic, but the Santa Claus parades returned in full spirits for the first time since 2019.

"I think our main goal was to get the community back together after three years and people feeling comfortable and experiencing that Christmas parade again after a few years," said Andrea Runtz, who helped organize the Pembroke Santa Claus parade Saturday.

Despite the weather not setting the Christmas mood—with double-digit positive temperatures and sunshine—65 floats registered for Pembroke's retro-themed parade.

"I think old movies was definitely a big one," said Runtz.

"I know we have a float that's doing a National Lampoon's Christmas, old cartoon characters that were in childhood Christmas movies, so I think people are taking that theme and going back to their childhood Christmases and what was popular to them back when they were kids."

Santa's final stop in the Ottawa Valley Saturday was in Arnprior.

"You hear lots of comments about it on the street so I think everybody is ready for it," said Glenn Arthur, organizer of Arnprior's parade.

Fifty-five floats registered for the town's longest festive parade to date, which raised donations for the local food bank and paid tribute to former organizer Theresa Charron, who has since passed.

"A big pair of shoes to fill, without a doubt," said Arthur.

"Once the parade gets rolling, it will feel like Christmas is coming."