WINNIPEG — You better not pout, because Santa will soon ride through downtown.
The Santa Claus Parade will welcome tens of thousands of people to the heart of Winnipeg on Saturday, and the elves are bustling about to get things organized.
“This is the first time I’ve had a chance to sit down for the day,” parade executive director Ron Mark said Thursday.
The parade starts and Portage Avenue and Young Street at 5 p.m. and winds down Portage to Main Street and then a short distance down William Stephenson Way. For those who can’t attend, it will be live streamed at globalnews.ca/winnipeg.
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But before Santa moves through the parade route, his sleigh needed an upgrade.
Winnipeg’s Junior Chamber International turned to Winnipeg Technical College for their expertise.
“They’ve taken out some of the flooring, put in new flooring. They’ve gone underneath and shored things up so it’s no longer spongy,” said JCI’s Marissa Zurba. “Things are strong and Santa’s going to have a very good ride.”
Even the reindeer — vandalized and broken over the years — can take a new step forward, and JCI can add the magic.
“We’re going to clean it up and tack stuff down, like the garland, replace what needs to be replaced. And we have the lighting of the reindeer to connect them. It is those finishing touches making it bright and shiny.”
Though he may not be quite as flashy as the higher-tech floats, thanks to the hard work of volunteers, St. Nick will sit a bit prettier.
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