THUNDER BAY — It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in Thunder Bay.
With a little bit of snow on the ground, and temperatures just below the freezing point, thousands of local residents lined the route of the Parade of Lights on Saturday night to continue a long-time local tradition.
Parade chair Greg Stephenson said more than 125 floats registered, with the total number of vehicles likely around 140.
"It's an awesome turnout," he said. "It's marvellous the job that they do. We're really excited."
"It's the people that put the work into the trucks and the people who come out to watch," Stephenson said. "We wouldn't have a parade if it wasn't for them."
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the parade in 2020 and while it was able to go ahead in each of past two years, Stephenson believes that disruption and the excitement people have for the event demonstrate its importance.
"People come out whether it's warm or cold. We were blessed [Saturday] because of the weather," he said. "We're glad we're able to do it."
Stephenson said the parade, which is sponsored by the Thunder Bay Police Association, takes a large group of volunteers to pull off.
"We have officers who donate their time to do the traffic duty — we couldn't do it without them," Stephenson said. "We have civilians and the charities involved to supply walkers that walk along the route."
The parade serves as a fundraiser for four local charities — George Jeffrey Children's Foundation, the Thunder Bay chapter of Special Olympics Ontario, Autism Ontario, and the Thunder Bay Therapeutic Riding Association — and last year raised just over $45,000.
