The 110th annual Santa Claus Parade -- the longest running of its kind – drew crowds of families to a snowy downtown Toronto today.
Many more will crowd around television screens later in the day, as the festivities will be broadcast on CTV across Canada starting at 4:30 p.m. local time.
The parade started at 12:30 p.m. at the corner of Bloor Street West and Christie Street and proceeded south past the Ontario legislature and University Avenue before ending up in the St. Lawrence Market area.
Eager parade-goers were treated to 31 floats -- more than ever before in the event’s 110-year history -- plus the big guy in the red suit himself.
Here are some highlights from the parade's history:
- 1913: Eaton's department store arranged for Santa to be pulled by live reindeer imported from Labrador.
- 1919: Santa was pulled by horses, but they were spooked by people in costumes and banished from future parades.
- 1939: Because of Second World War, materials like metal and cotton were so scarce that most parade costumes had to be made of paper.
- 1950s: The parade had grown to be the biggest of its kind in North America.
- 1976: The parade had grown so popular that more than 30 million people across North America watched on television.
- 1982: Eaton’s department store pulled funding, but a not-for-profit group signed up 20 new corporate sponsors to save it.
- 1989: As the Cold War wound down, Soviet broadcasters began airing the parade to viewers across Russia.
- 2013: After Toronto Mayor Rob Ford admitted to smoking crack cocaine, he was asked by organizers not to march. Instead, he made an appearance at the Etobicoke parade two weeks later.
Here is a map showing parade photos shared on social media. Click on each icon to see them.
