Kaladar Christmas Parade: New Look & Time for an Old Tradition

Jeff Green | Nov 03, 2011

Two years ago the Kaladar Community Club celebrated their 45th Santa Claus parade, but in 2010 there were not enough floats entering the parade for the club to carry on, and it was cancelled.

Earlier this fall, one of the members of the Land O'Lakes Lions Club, which has organized a parade in Northbrook for the past 5 years, suggested that the Kaladar Community Club be contacted to consider combining forces on the 2011 Santa Claus Parade. An arrangement was worked out to combine the parades and rotate their location each year.

“We were happy to be approached,” said Penny Hinchey of the Kaladar Community Club earlier this week when she met with Alex Chisholm of the Lions Club. “It would be shame to have the parade just disappear completely after all this time.”

“We decided that since the parade was cancelled in Kaladar last year, we should bring it back there this year,” said Alex Chisholm. “We plan to hold it in Northbrook in 2012 and back in Kaladar in 2013. Working together on the Santa Claus Parade might lead to more co-operation between our groups in other ways. Our communities are located just down Highway 41 from each other. ”

The two groups do have more in common than Santa Claus parades. They both run community halls on a shoestring budget, the Kaladar Community Centre and the Northbrook Lions Hall. Unlike municipally owned centres, such as the Flinton and Denbigh halls, the Kaladar and Northbrook halls receive no funding support from the municipality and along with all the overhead they face a substantial municipal tax burden.

“The hall uses up a lot of our fundraising and volunteer efforts,” said Chisholm.

Penny Hinchey agreed.

“It takes a lot of effort to keep the hall going, but at least we are lucky enough to have a renter, the Land O'Lakes Tourist Association, who have their offices in our building,” she said.

As far as organizing the Santa Claus parade, the groups have been able to book the Sea Cadet Corps out of Belleville for the parade, which is scheduled for Saturday November 26.

“We will be starting at 10 am instead of 2 pm, when the parade had been running, and I for one think it is a better time,” said Penny Hinchey.

Right now, the groups want to get the word out that floats of all kinds are needed to make this combined effort parade a success. Anyone who is interested in entering a float, and being eligible for three prizes of $100, as well as other prizes, is encouraged to contact Alex at 613-336-1573 or Tammy Gaylord at Bence Motors 613-336-2626.

And people should mark their calendars, blackberries or smart phones for November 26 at 10 am when the 46th Kaladar parade (or the 1st KalNor or NorKal parade) will start up. Afterwards in the Kaladar Community Centre, Santa will visit with treats for the kids, and there will be free hot chocolate, coffee and donuts available for all.