The Toronto Santa Claus Parade is in trouble but Prime Minister Justin Trudeau might lend a hand to save the beloved spectacle in time for the Christmas season.
Earlier this month, the Original Santa Claus Parade announced it is in danger of going under and needed to raise at least $250,000 to ensure the non-profit can continue operating next year.
News of the 120 year old organization facing financial difficulty struck a chord with fans of the parade, many of whom have been waiting in the cold to see the annual procession since they were children.
In a post to X on Thursday afternoon, Trudeau said he "heard that the #SantaClausParadeTO is having a few challenges."
"So, we’re going to help them out," he wrote, hinting at potentially providing funds to keep the parade afloat.
"It’s a great tradition, and we want to keep it going for years to come," Trudeau said of the parade.
He did not provide any other specifics on assistance for the Original Santa Claus Parade.
I heard that the #SantaClausParadeTO is having a few challenges. So, we’re going to help them out. It’s a great tradition, and we want to keep it going for years to come.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) November 15, 2024
CEO and president of the Original Santa Claus Parade, Clay Charters, told TorontoToday the parade will not take place next year if the organization cannot raise $250,000.
He said the parade has relied on “its own surplus” of cash in recent years to ensure Santa still comes to town, but must now make “drastic efforts” to ensure it can continue.
The main driver of the parade’s financial trouble is shrinking corporate sponsorships. Charters said the organization's sponsorship rate has declined by about 30 per cent or more since 2019.
On top of the decreased cash flow, the parade is also struggling to keep up with the inflationary costs of materials and labour needed to build the parade’s floats and create costumes.
A GoFundMe campaign dedicated to saving the Original Santa Claus Parade has raised over $69,000 since it launched on Nov. 7.
Charters told the Toronto Star the parade has also received $125,000 from the province.
Federal Heritage Minister Pascale St-Onge told the outlet the government “will actively be engaging” with parade organizers, and “even Santa Claus himself if necessary to provide support.”
The 2024 parade will take place on Nov. 24 and is set to welcome upwards of 750,000 attendees. The procession will feature 18 marching bands and 26 floats.
This year, the Santa Claus Parade will travel east down Bloor Street and briefly divert onto Hoskin Avenue, before returning to its traditional route, heading south down University Avenue and eventually terminating at St. Lawrence Market.
For the first time this year, the parade will be livestreamed on YouTube.
— with files from TorontoToday's Kathryn Mannie
