Santa awaits the start of the Christmas parade in Waterford on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM jpg, SR
Members of the Waterford Legion prepare for the start of the Waterford Santa Claus Parade on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM jpg, SR
A fire truck started off the Waterford Santa Claus Parade on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM jpg, SR
Parade floats up St. James Street during the Waterford Santa Claus Parade on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM jpg, SR
Weston Craft’s smile was sure to warm the Grinch’s heart during the Waterford Santa Claus Parade on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM jpg, SR
Parade floats up St. James Street during the Waterford Santa Claus Parade on Saturday night. SIMCOE REFORM
Members of the Waterford Lions Club add some wood to a fire they had going to help keep warm near the food truck set up at the end of the Santa Claus parade route at James Street South and Alice Street on Saturday. The club organized the parade for the second time in as many years. VINCENT BALL
The Grinch (Matt Suckel) and Jim McEachern engage in mock battle over some gifts prior to the second annual Waterford Santa Claus on Saturday. Both are members of the Waterford Lions Club, who organized the parade. VINCENT BALL
All 9 Photos for Gallery
Function Not Available
Full Screen is not supported on this browser version.
You may use a different browser or device to view this in full screen.
Jim McEachren and Matt Suckel have been busier than Santa’s elves over the past couple of weeks.
But then again, so have the rest of the members of the Waterford Lions Club.
“Yeah, but has been a lot of fun,” McEachren said of the club’s efforts in recent weeks. “We’re actually pretty busy all year because we support so many different things.
“At this time of year, it’s the parade of course, but we’ve also collected food for the food bank and the toy drive.”
The toy drive, in support of Haldimand Norfolk REACH and the Salvation Army was especially successful this year, McEachren said.
REACH provides a range of services to children including mental health, developmental as well as early education and childcare to name just a few.
On Saturday, McEachren, Suckel and Lions club members were out making sure everyone had a good time at Waterford’s Santa Claus parade.
They also had a food truck set up at the end of the parade at the Alice Street and James Street South intersection. The parade started at Blueline Road and Thompson Road West.
McEachren, the parade marshal, said the parade had 43 registered floats but organizers were expecting more than 50 participants and possibly as many as 60 because not everyone registers in advance. Some individuals and organizations simply show up prior to the parade’s start.
“One of the great things about this club is that everyone helps out,” McEachern said. “I know that when I get down to the start point, there will four or five club members already there waiting.
“It’s great.”
The festive parade Saturday was the second organized by the Lion’s club in as many years. The first one came last year as COVID-19 public health restrictions began to ease.
“Some parades had been canceled and there wasn’t a lot going on and my wife (Melanie) said to me, ‘hey you should do a parade,’” Suckel recalled. “We only had a couple of weeks to put it together but it went really well.
“People were lined up pretty deep along the route and I think everyone had a good time.”
Suckel also had an important role in the parade this year.
He played The Grinch, just like he did in the club’s first parade last year.
“It’s a lot of fun and I’m glad to be back again this year,” Suckel said. “But remember, I’m not the star of the parade.”
“Santa Claus is the star. I just have a supporting role.”
Local residents lined James Street to enjoy the brightly lit floats that made their way through Waterford to Alice Street.
twitter.com/EXPVBall