Mrs. Claus was in Timmins Tuesday morning to do some scouting.

That’s a given, when officials with the Timmins Santa Claus Parade are touting that Saturday’s edition will be the biggest they’ve ever had.

It’s also the latest in the year they’ve held the event, due to Remembrance Day falling on a Saturday.

“We have over 50 floats and we have the largest (number) ever of flat beds, we’ve never had this many flat beds,” says Downtown BIA Executive Director Noella Rinaldo.

The floats include competitions between the high schools, a couple of mining companies, three dance troupes and if the weather holds up, marching bands.

They’ll be keeping a keen eye near the CIBC on Third and Pine South, where the judges are located.

They’ll also have their eye on what’s expected to be a crowd of up to 15,000 people.

Now to the logistics of Saturday, numbers will be seen lining the marshaling area starting around 9:00am on Spruce South—from the transit terminal to The Beer Store—and on Second Avenue between Spruce and Brunette Road.

In those areas, on-street parking is closed off during the day.

Parking along the parade route itself is closed at 4:00pm but Rinaldo says generally the routes open back up around 8:30pm.

And as a special treat, recently retired Fire Chief Mike “Spyke” Pintar will be the marshall at the start of the parade and will set the pace.

Patrons are asked to bring donations of food, which will be collected within the first three floats.

Also up for collection at the beginning of the parade are letters to Santa and clothing donations for Bella’s Boutique as part of their “Out of the Cold” Coat Drive.

Other than that, Rinaldo says lots of treats will be handed out too.

However, she adds there is a need for adults to man the barricades due to a staffing issue.

“This is for the most crucial part of the parade, which is the end of the parade,” she said, “When you got flat beds coming out and you’re unloading all these kids and the dance troupes have like 200 kids in there…we get them all to go to La Caisse Populaire for hot chocolate but the floats keep on going.”

“We need that area to be locked off and we need to have some space, so we are looking for that.”

The parade starts at 6:00pm.

Filed under: Local News