Ottawa Santa Claus Parade 2011 / Ottawa Parades Guide

Help Santa Toy Parade
(November 19, 2011, 5:00pm)

The parade starts. Photo by Kenneth Mellon.
The parade starts. Photo by Kenneth Mellon.

Each year in November, the Ottawa Professional Firefighters Association organizes the Help Santa Toy Parade. Along with the traditional floats, bands, clowns and other attractions, firefighters march along the route to collect donations for less-fortunate children.
The parade has been a tradition in Ottawa for over 40 years. In 2009, the parade was held for the first time at night as a parade of lights.
The 2011 version of the parade has a new route: It starts at 5pm at the National Archives on Wellington Street, heading east on Wellington until Bank. The parade turns right, continuing south on Bank Street then turns left on Laurier Avenue. It heads east on Laurier until Elgin Street, where it ends near City Hall.

It's become a yearly tradition: each fall, local blogger DaniGirl posts a big list of Christmas Parades in Eastern Ontario. Here's the 2011 list.

"Defiance" - captured at the 2009 St. Patrick's Day Parade. Photo by Farfando, used by permission.
More Ottawa photos...

This year is the 29th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, starting at 11am and ending at 12:30pm.
It's one of Ottawa's smaller parades but it's still a good time. Each year on a Saturday close to St. Patrick's Day, the Irish Society of the National Capital Region celebrates Irish tradition and heritage.
The Parade will leave City Hall, and travels down Laurier, then Bank, finishing at Lansdowne Park.
The St. Patrick's parade is part of a larger "Irish Week" festival.
Official site: Irish Society of the National Capital Region

Everyone comes out for the St Patrick's Day parade.Photo by Alison MacIvor.

Parade starts at noon on June 18th at St. Joseph Blvd & Grey Nuns Drive in Orleans
Official site

Ottawa Pride Parade 2008. Photo by Ian Robertson, used by permission.
Ottawa Pride Parade 2008. Photo by Ian Robertson, used by permission. More Ottawa photos...

This parade is part of Ottawa's Pride Week, celebrating our lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. It attracts over 30,000 people annually.
The 25th Annual Capital Pride Parade in 2010 featured over 75 parade entries and 1,200 participants, ranging from floats to marchers.
This year, instead of its usual route which follows along Wellington Street passing alongside Parliament Hill, the Parade will make its way down Bank Street, turn on to Laurier and head towards City Hall, where it will finish as it has in years past. (More info about the parade route...)
Official Site: Capital Pride 2011

The Changing of the Guard. Photo by Glen Gower.

Every day in the summer (except during rain), the Ceremonial Guard marches from the Cartier Square Drill Hall (Laurier Avenue near the Rideau Canal), down Laurier and Elgin Street past the War Memorial, and then up on Wellington Street to Parliament Hill.
They perform the Changing of the Guard ceremony at 10:00am, and then around 10:30am they parade back along the original route to their starting point.
More info: Changing of the Guard in Ottawa

Traditionally held on Labour Day Monday in Ottawa.
This year's Labour Day March starts at noon at Ottawa City Hall, and ends at McNabb Park (Gladstone @ Bronson) where there's a family picnic from 1:00pm-4:30pm, including music, balloons, pony rides, games, face painting, clowns and more.
More info: ottawalabour.org