To the surprise of no-one, the popular, annual Steveston Santa Claus Parade has been cancelled due to the pandemic.
Santa’s traditional Christmas Eve entourage through the streets of the village – organized by Richmond Firefighters local 1286 – usually attracts a sizeable crowd so, hence, had to be shelved for this year.
One of the event organizers, Jack Beetstra, said they couldn’t do it without falling foul of the provincial health guidelines.
“It is a weird year for sure,” Beetstra told the Richmond News.
He said the organization was still “trying to initiate a food bank donation day, but that is still under consideration,” alluding to the fact the parade usually gathers hundreds of food and monetary donations from the crowd.
The parade has been winding its way through the village every Christmas for decades, aside from 2013, when it was organized by the Rotary Club of Steveston.
