Wheatley proves stronger than ever with Santa Claus Parade

By Greg Coulter

If you didn’t make it to the Wheatley Christmas Parade Saturday night, December 3, you may have missed one of the best parades ever held in the village.

The streets were lined with onlookers as up to 45 floats passed by.

Heading north on Erie Street, in stark contrast, it passed by the fenced off explosion area of Talbot Street East offering the residents some much de served Christmas cheer.

The business communi ty really stepped up with some amazing float deco rations.

Renny’s Mike Renwick and family — still shut down from the explo sion — took time to offer Christmas greetings with a float.

The Wheatley Sharks players, executive and families and Skate Wheat ley participated while the U13 Southpoint Stars col lected food items along the parade route.

Social media comments lit up with accolades for the float participants and the parade committee, consisting of Sarah Ste venson, Jamie Lee Church, Ricki-Lee Scratch, Jodi Mummery, Heidi Omstead, Jocelyn Jones, and Hilary Hodgson.

A straw poll suggest ed that Gerhard Taves’ decked out massive com bine was the overwhelm ing float favourite by young and old alike.

On behalf of the com mittee, Hilary Hodgson said, “It truly does take a village. Many local businesses, clubs and in dividuals came together to bring Wheatley a very special Christmas Pa rade. Our town may be broken but the people of our community are here to remind everyone that we’re strong and together we can overcome all ob stacles.”

She added more comments of thanks on her Facebook page highlight ing, “Most of all, thank you to every single spectator. Hundreds of people lined the parade route to watch the floats go by. It was so magical and beau tiful!”

The Wheatley Fish Fest committee sponsored the parade and is actively working on this year’s Fish Fest along with next year’s Christmas Parade.

PHOTOS BY GREG COULTER