Cambridge cancels Santa Claus parades due to COVID-19 pandemic

Two more major events in Waterloo Region have been shelved due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Over the weekend, the City of Cambridge announced the Hespeler Santa Claus Parade and the Cambridge Santa Claus Parade have been cancelled.

The city says the decision was made due to the recent rise in the number of COVID-19 cases and to follow provincial guidelines on public gatherings.

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“The Santa Claus parades are long-standing traditions in Cambridge and I know that much effort has gone into finding alternate solutions, so it really saddens me to announce that the parades won’t be happening this year. I know we will all miss these much loved events,” Mayor Kathryn McGarry said in a statement.

“The decision was not made lightly but the safety of the community must come first.”

The city is asking residents to share memories from past parades on Facebook and Twitter in an attempt to celebrate previous editions of the parades.

It says prizes will be awarded for the most creative and most nostalgic photos.

In early September, the Kitchener Lions Club announced it was pulling the plug on the 2020 Kitchener-Waterloo Santa Claus parade.